Michael Jai White reveals his son died from Covid aged 38: ‘Coronavirus was the knockout blow’

Why Did I Get Married star Michael Jai White reveals his oldest son died aged 38 years from Covid-19 (Picture: Getty)

Actor Michael Jai White has opened up about the death of his eldest son, after he contracted coronavirus.

The Black Dynamite star revealed on VladTV that he was saddened by the loss of the 38-year-old because they had ‘grown up together’ due to the fact the actor was just 15 when his son was born.

White said his son, whom he didn’t name, had struggled with substance abuse and claimed that played a role in his death.

‘Unfortunately, he was still kinda out there in the streets hustling, wasn’t doing well, started getting on substances,’ the 53-year-old explained. ‘He’d come out, go back in, all that type of stuff.’

The Why Did I Get Married actor stated he had tried to help his son get clean over the years, but ‘ultimately, it’s up to that person, especially if somebody’s a grown person.’

White added that his son, ‘never shook the streets,’ and explained ‘that was his thing,’ as he insisted that his son ‘lived the life he wanted to live.’

He also confirmed that his son, who lived in Connecticut, had not been vaccinated before contracting the virus.

When asked how he reacted to the news of his son’s death, White explained: ‘He was in the hospital for a while, so it wasn’t immediate.’

The Black Dynamite star is also father to a daughter named Morgan (Picture: David Livingston/Getty Images)

The actor added that when he got sick and went to the hospital, ‘Covid was waiting for him,’ calling the disease ‘the knockout blow’ for his child.

‘He wasn’t doing well and his system was compromised because of the other abuse,’ he explained, adding his oldest was also a father of six children.

White also has a daughter named Morgan with Courtney Chatham, who he was married to from 2015 to 2011.

He has been married to Gillian Iliana Waters since 2015, with whom he shares three children.

More: US Showbiz news

White made history as the first Black actor to portray a superhero when he played Al Simmons in the 1997 film Spawn.

He has over 100 film and TV credits to his name, including his portrayal of Mike Tyson in the 1995 HBO movie Tyson and Bronze Tiger in the hit CW series Arrow.

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