All About Skai Jackson’s Parents, Including Mom Kiya Cole

Skai Jackson’s career began at a young age thanks to an important person in her life: her mom.

The former Disney Channel actress and YouTube sensation was born on April 8, 2002, in Staten Island, N.Y. to Jacob Jackson and Kiya Cole. After their divorce, Cole raised Skai as a single mother and helped her daughter pursue a career from a young age.

“I resigned from my job a long time ago because she had the passion for it,” Cole told Premiere in July 2014. “I want to protect her. I want to be there, I don’t want to hire someone to be there, so I’m there every step of the way, every single job.”

Skai rose to fame when she secured the role of Zuri Ross in Disney Channel’s Jessie and its spin-off Bunk’d — a job that ultimately prompted the mother and daughter to move to Los Angeles.

In 2019, Skai released her book, Reach for the Skai: How to Inspire, Empower and Clapback, and one year later she became a semi-finalist on Dancing with the Stars. Alongside her professional achievements, she has been a powerful advocate against cyberbullying, earning her a spot on TIME’s list of the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2016.

“[My mom] always taught me to stand up for myself, stand up for what I believe in and fight for what is right,” she told PEOPLE in February 2023. “I thank her for that because without her, I probably wouldn’t have a lot of the confidence that I do now.”

From welcoming their daughter to supporting her career, here’s everything to know about Skai Jackson’s parents, Jacob Jackson and Kiya Cole.

Cole and Jacob welcomed their daughter in 2002

Cole was born in New York in 1975 and was raised in Staten Island. She was once married to Jacob Jackson, and together they welcomed their daughter on April 8, 2002.

Cole and Jacob divorced when Skai was young, and Cole primarily raised her as a single mother. Although her father remains mostly private, Skai shared a few photos with him on social media in June 2020 in honor of Father’s Day.

Skai has two younger sisters, Aurora and Nala, who were born in 2010 and 2014, respectively.

Cole has managed Skai’s career since she started acting

When Skai was only 9 months old, her mom sent her photos to modeling agencies after constantly being told how cute of a baby she was. Just two weeks later, the infant was signed with an agent — and hasn’t stopped working since.

“At the time, the only thing I could think of is, ‘Well, hopefully she can make enough money to go to college,’ ” Cole told Refinery29 in August 2017. Cole quit her job at the post office when Skai was young, choosing to support her daughter’s passion by becoming her manager.

Under Cole’s guidance, Skai soon began acting in commercials, and by the time she was 4 years old, she had secured her first film role.

“I always just knew I wanted to be an actress,” Skai told ET Style in October 2019. She recalled feeling inspired while watching Raven-Symoné on Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven.

“I felt like, ‘Wow, she’s a young black girl and if she can do it, I can do it,’ ” Skai added.

Cole raised Skai in New York and Los Angeles

Skai was born in Staten Island and spent her early childhood living in nearly every New York borough except Queens, she told ET Style in October 2019. Her life changed at 9 years old, when she landed the role of Zuri Ross in the Disney Channel show Jessie, a pivotal moment that led Skai and her mother to relocate to L.A.

“Adjusting to fame was a big transition. Even though she was working a lot in New York, it’s a whole other world when you hit the L.A. scene, and you’re on Disney Channel, where every kid recognizes you,” Cole told Refinery29 in August 2017.

“In the beginning, it was a little difficult for Skai because it kind of seemed like overnight where she would be out at the movie theater, and it was hard for her just to go to the bathroom. She wasn’t used to that,” she added.

Despite the early challenges, the move to L.A. proved to be a turning point in Skai’s career.

“I’ve reached so many people and I’ve gotten so many opportunities and I feel like I wouldn’t have gotten those if I didn’t make that move,” Skai told ET Style in October 2019.

In April 2023, Cole shared a throwback photo from their New York days on Instagram, writing, “This will always be one of my favorite photos of us. It’s a reminder of a time when we were running around together throughout NYC getting her to auditions and go-sees through rain, sleet or snow. No regrets.”

Cole shares fitness, food and beauty content on social media

Cole frequently shares “Fitness Friday” and “Motivation Monday” videos of her working out on her Instagram, often with a personal trainer.

“I specifically post to motivate like others have motivated me,” she wrote on Instagram in April 2018.

She also posts cooking videos and recipes and has a beauty account where she shares insight into her self-care routine.

The mother-daughter duo sometimes make content together, including an Instagram reel of a joint workout session in October 2022 and a YouTube vlog in which Skai did her mom’s makeup in May 2019.

Cole and Skai were featured on a magazine cover together

The mother-daughter duo once made history as cover stars for Parenting Magazine.

“At that time, there wasn’t a lot of Black kids on covers, especially a mom and a daughter,” Skai told ET Style in October 2019.

“For us to be one of the first was pretty awesome. To really see and prove these people wrong … people wouldn’t think that if you put Black people on a cover it would sell out but ours did. I feel like we are breaking stereotypes which is a great thing,” Skai added.

Cole is a protective mother

Although Cole doesn’t make it a habit to monitor what is being said online, she sometimes glances at what people post about her daughter.

“Because for me as a parent, if I see something that’s not positive, I’m still a human, and I’m still her mom, and I go into protection mode,” Cole told Refinery29 in August 2017.

Protection mode as a mother of a child star also means monitoring how their child presents themself on social media.

“Skai is fairly outspoken on Twitter, so I make sure that I’m connected. I don’t care to have Twitter for myself, but I do have Twitter just so I can monitor her. I can quickly access her page; same thing with her Instagram,” Cole told Refinery29 in August 2017.

However, Cole won’t get in her daughter’s way of standing up for herself.

“My mom would always tell me, ‘If someone bullies you, don’t just sit there and let them bully you. Do something about it or tell someone about it,’ ” Skai told HuffPost in May 2016.

When Skai got into an online feud with Azealia Banks in May 2016, her mother had a response of her own.

“She’s too old to go at it with a 14 year old, but not too young for me to see her! I don’t play those games!” Cole wrote on Instagram in May 2016.

Cole works to keep Skai grounded

Cole has worked to keep her daughter grounded from a young age, ensuring that stardom didn’t completely interfere with her childhood. Amid film days and red carpets, Skai attended ballet classes and had sleepovers with friends.

“It comes from the parents I think to keep them grounded and that’s what I’ve always tried to do with her,” Cole told Premiere in July 2014.

One of the biggest compliments Cole receives is how she keeps her daughter humble, she told Refinery29 in August 2017.

Cole recalled teaching her daughter, “Always to be nice to everyone, because that’s what’s really important. People remember that; they remember the meeting: ‘Was she nice, was she not so nice?’ ” Cole said.

Cole instilled confidence in Skai

Cole has taught Skai to embrace and love her natural self from a young age.

“My mom has always just wanted me to be who I was born to be, whoever I want to be and whoever I aspire to be in life,” Skai told ET Style in October 2019.

In September 2019, Skai told Good Morning America that her mom helped her regain confidence after being bullied over the years in school and on social media.

She recalled her mom teaching her “that you are who you are, you can’t change it and you should always love yourself.”

Cole and Skai competed on Family Feud together

Dancing With the Stars wasn’t the only reality show Skai appeared on. In September 2019, she competed on the reality game show Family Feud alongside Cole, her aunt Lynette Burns, cousin Taj Harris and stylist Zadrian Smith.

The family went head-to-head with Fresh Off the Boat star Hudson Yang and his family.

“I want a do-over! ❌❌❌My answer was good!” Cole wrote on Instagram in August 2024. Although they didn’t win, she shared that she got to check an item off of her bucket list.

Cole and Skai hosted weekly virtual talent shows during quarantine

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Cole and Skai hosted virtual talent shows to help “pass the time” when they were bored amid quarantine. Once a week, they would go live on Instagram for “Timeout Talent Tuesday” and reward a cash prize to the weekly winner.

“It gave us something to look forward to,” Cole wrote in an Instagram post. “Thanks again to everyone who were good sports and came on and shared this time with us.”