Michael Jai White's Oldest Son Unexpectedly Died at 38 & He Reveals the Cause
Actor Michael Jai White quietly mourned the sudden death of his oldest son, whom he had when he was only 15. He recently revealed the circumstances of his son's passing. Scroll down to hear the movie star's heartbreaking statement.
Michael Jai White used to compete in martial arts tournaments when he was young. His expertise in that field led him to Hollywood, where he became a sought-after action star.
He became iconic for his superhero role in the 1997 movie "Spawn." His character is known for his strength and power. White would have undoubtedly saved his eldest son from a serious illness if he possessed such power in real life.
Michael Jai White at the advance screening of "Falcon Rising" movie on September 5, 2014 in Morrow, Georgia. | Photo: Getty Images
White quietly grieved his eldest son's unexpected death. In a recent interview with VladTV, he revealed his son died after suffering from COVID-19 a few months ago in Connecticut. He was 38. White said:
"When he got sick and went to the hospital, COVID was waiting for him..."
The "Falcon Rising" actor said he had his son when he was 15 from a previous relationship. Although he could not recall the woman's age with whom he had a relationship, he said they grew up together.
Although he did not publicly reveal his eldest son's name, White shared that they were extremely close. The closeness between the two gradually weakened as his son led a distressing life.
White shared his son was not doing well when he was alive. The veteran actor added his son lived and hustled back and forth on the streets while getting harmful substances into his system.
He shared that street life must have contributed to his son's unfortunate death. Although White said he attempted to help, his son was hesitant to accept the movie actor's assistance.
According to the "Blood and Bone" star, the street was his son's place, and leaving it behind might be hard for the latter. "He lived a life he wanted to live, and he made that choice," White shared.
While being a teen dad is not ideal as one's maturity level is not at its peak, White said it gave him a new perspective.
In addition to the street life as a factor in his son's death from COVID-19, White revealed his son was not vaccinated. The veteran actor added that his son was a father of six kids.
Like White, his son was once a teenage father. In a previous interview with VladTV in April 2021, the "Triple Threat" actor revealed his son became a father at 16.
He added that his grandson has a child at 19, which makes White a great-grandfather at 53. White expressed his thoughts about the repeated cycle of teenage fatherhood in his family.
The "Black Dynamite" star pointed out it was not unusual for him to become a teenage dad in his hometown, which had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in America.
While being a teen dad is not ideal as one's maturity level is not at its peak, White said it gave him a new perspective. He said it pushed him to work hard to provide for his son.
After his eldest son's death, White now only has six children. Only four of his children have been publicly identified - Devin, Jahari, Jai, and Morgan. The first three are the movie legend's children from his previous relationships.
Morgan is White's daughter with his ex-wife, Courteney Chapman. The "Tyson" actor is presently married to his second wife, actress Gillian Waters since 2015. They tied the knot in Thailand.