Camara DaCosta Johnson was born on 15 November 1982, in Harlem, New York City USA, of Brazilian descent. Yaya is a model and actress, best known for being a runner up in “America’s Next Top Model” Cycle 3. She’s also part of the drama series “Chicago Med” as Nurse April Sexton, but all of her endeavors have helped put her net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Yaya DaCosta? As of late-2016, sources estimate a net worth that is at $1 million, mostly earned through her career as an actress and model. She’s appeared as a model in numerous advertisements, and has also starred in independent films alongside television shows. As she continues her career it is expected that her net worth will increase.
Yaya Dacosta Net Worth $1 million
Yaya attended Northfield Mount Hermon School, and after matriculating registered at Brown University, studying Africana Studies during her time there. She started gaining popularity when she joined Cycle 3 of “America’s Next Top Model” in 2004, finishing second in the show – only appearing once in the bottom two during the entire competition – and going on to continue her career as a model and actress, increasing her net worth significantly. After her run in the show she would become part of advertisements for Garnier Fructis, Radioshack, Oil of Olay, and Dr.Scholl’s.
In 2005, she started acting, guesting in one episode of the TV show “Eve”, then starring in the dance film “Take the Lead” alongside Antonio Banderas and Rob Brown. In 2007, she was cast in the independent film “Honeydripper” in a supporting role, and would also be part of “The Messenger” which was another independent film. In 2008, she was cast as Cassandra Foster in the soap opera “All My Children”, but stayed in the show for less than four months because she joined the cast of the Broadway production “The First Breeze of Summer,” running from 2008 to 2009 and presented by the Negro Ensemble Company. Her net worth was rising steadily.
Afterwards, Yaya would become part of the fourth season of “Ugly Betty” in 2009, and would then be cast in a supporting role in “The Kids Are All Right”. She was also a part of “Tron: Legacy”, while making appearances on the covers of W and American Vogue magazines. In 2013, she became a part of the film “The Butler” which starred Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker, and also portrayed Whitney Houston in a Lifetime television film – a performance which gained her a lot of praise. One of her latest projects is the medical drama “Chicago Med” which she became a part of since 2015. Her continued acting endeavors help her net worth increase at a constant rate.
DaCosta has received numerous nominations throughout her career, with the majority for her performance in “The Kids Are All Right”. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for “Take the Lead” and was nominated for a Black Reel Award Best Breakthrough Performance for “The Kids are All Right”.
For her personal life, it is known that Yaya married independent movie director Joshua Bee Alaifa in 2012 and they have a son. However, they have separated and she filed for divorce in November 2015. Aside from this, DaCosta is known to speak four other languages aside from English – Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, and French.
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble, Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star - Female
Movies
Chicago Med, Whitney, The Nice Guys, The Kids Are All Right, Take the Lead, The Butler, Tron: Legacy, Honeydripper, Racing for Time, Mother of George, The Messenger, And So It Goes, Big Words, Whole Lotta Sole, Bolden!
TV Shows
Chicago Med
#
Quote
1
My parents were very active in the Civil Rights Movement. My father was a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) worker; my mother was a secretary with the Panthers.
2
We had already planned my wedding when my brother passed away in 2012. When you're grieving, you don't necessarily want to think about something like that, but my brother told me that he wanted me to, so we went ahead and did it.
3
I feel at home in a lot of places, but I am truly an African-American.
4
I try to make my mood uplifting and peaceful, then watch the world around me reflect that mood.
5
Happiness is the bomb cosmetic! When I'm smiling, sometimes I'm giving thanks for all the things I have rather than worrying about the things I don't.
#
Fact
1
Her ancestry includes African-American, Brazilian, West African, Cherokee Native American, and Irish. Yaya often mentioned her Brazilian ancestry during her "America's Next Top Model" (2003) run, along with her Nigerian ancestry.
2
Accepted the role of Cassandra on "All My Children". [April 2008]
3
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 30, a son Sankara Alafia in September 2013. Child's father is her estranged husband, Joshua Bee Alafia.
$1 Million
