What Is Talia Jacksons Parents Ethnicity? Growing up Mixed-Race

Publish date: 2024-05-04

During her 2020 interview with Los Angeles Sentinel, actress Talia Jackson was asked about her parents and ethnicity.

In her response, the television actress opened up about her parents and said she is a mix of African-American and Lithuanian ethnicity.

According to Jackson, her dad is Black while her mom is Lithuanian.

However, because of her white complexion, the actress has faced online hate in the past.

Talia Jackson Was Called Out for Her Ethnicity

After the trailer for the first season of her show Family Reunion aired in July 2019, Jackson noticed a flurry of hate comments targeted toward her.

Jackson was spending her summer in Wisconsin with her best friend at the said time.

After the airing of the show's trailer, an excited Jackson scrolled through the comment section of her Instagram to see fans' reactions.

Talia Jackson (Photo Source: Talia Jackson/Instagram)

However, she felt embarrassed by the hurtful comments about her mixed race.

"I swear, about 70% of the comments were like, 'I can't believe they cast a white woman as the teenage daughter,'" Jackson told Teen Vogue.

She also mentioned people questioning the show creator's decision to cast a white girl as the daughter of a black family.

Fans criticized her looks and claimed she was an unfit choice for the role of the character she portrayed in the sitcom.

Jackson said the comments made her think she had to prove she belonged to mixed ethnicity.

"I have to get it out there that I'm mixed," she shared during the interview. 

The actress became fearful that her then-new show might go off-air because of the racial controversy.

Talia Jackson Felt She Needed to Prove Her Ethnicity

It made her feel like she needed to prove her ethnicity, especially her Blackness, reported the magazine.

Jackson said she was put through a huge burden, making her feel like she was ruining the show for everybody.

Upon the show's release on Netflix, Jackson stayed until midnight to binge-watch the entire first season.

The following morning, she took to her Instagram to post about the show.

Unfortunately, more hate comments followed her, and as a result, she "literally sat in a chair and cried."

Jackson was also forced to delete her Instagram account on the day, which was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.

After the incident, one of Jackson's parents, her mother, reached out to her television mom, Tia Mowry, who was also once subject to similar racial hate.

Jackson said her "most comforting conversation" with Mowry helped her "truly" get through "all the negativity."

In the ongoing series, Jackson plays the character of Jade while Mowry plays Cocoa, who is both Black and white.

Parents' Divorce Affected Talia Jackson's Mental Health

The hurtful response reportedly triggered anxiety for Jackson, who has a history of mental health struggles. 

At the age of thirteen, the actress was diagnosed with depression and anxiety after being caught in an unpleasant custody dispute between her parents.

"It took a huge toll on my mental health," the Family Reunion actress recalled.

According to the actress, she went from being an incredibly happy little girl to being the most depressed.

After her 2019, 2020 racial row, Jackson found her in the same metal state she fought years prior.

Jackson told Vogue, she can't remember a day, especially in 2020, when she didn't wake up in a panic attack or with the feeling of anxiety.

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