Keisha Nash Whitaker, the ex-wife of actor Forest Whitaker, died on December 7 at the age of 51 from alcoholic liver disease.
Nash-Whitaker, who battled anorexia for years, had been suffering from the disease – which occurs when the liver is severely damaged by excessive alcohol consumption – for years before her death. TMZ reveals.
Acute kidney failure – which can be caused by anorexia – has also been cited as a major contributing factor to her death. She died at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in LA County.
The former couple's 25-year-old daughter, True Whitaker, confirmed the tragic news on her Instagram account last month, calling her “the most beautiful woman in the world” in a heartbreaking post, but did not elaborate on the cause of death.
A source told DailyMail.com that Nash-Whitaker died after being in and out of hospital in recent months with intestinal problems, following a years-long battle with anorexia.
Keisha Nash Whitaker, the ex-wife of actor Forest Whitaker, died of alcoholic liver disease on December 7 at the age of 51 (pictured together in 2014)
“Keisha battled anorexia for years,” the source said. Forrest stayed by her side during those difficult times, but the following year he filed for divorce in 2015.
Whitaker, 62, and Nash-Whitaker married in 1996 and share two daughters, Sonnet, 27, and True, 25.
“They remained friends and their divorce was amicable, but because Whitaker said his wife was “kind, funny, smart and spontaneous, as well as a good mother to their children, there was no need not to remain friendly.”
Meanwhile, True's emotional post read: 'Goodbye mom. I love you forever and beyond,” True posted to her account alongside a photo of her mother. 'The most beautiful woman in the world… thank you for teaching me everything I know. I will see you in my dreams and I will feel you in my heart.'
Whitaker's wife caused concern in 2014 after she showed off her thin figure with her husband at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards.
According to RadarOnline.comIt was estimated at the time that Keisha had lost around 35 pounds (two and a half stone) in recent years.
And such extreme weight loss at her age could lead to significant health problems, according to Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of The Hampton's Diet.
Dr. Pescatore, who had not treated Keisha, told Radar, “She is at risk of premature aging of her heart and bones.
The former couple's 25-year-old daughter, True Whitaker, confirmed the tragic news on her Instagram account
Whitaker pictured at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards
'Most importantly, this kind of bouncing around wreaks havoc on metabolism and makes it increasingly difficult to stay thin without more and more effort. Possibly to the point of starvation and pills.”
In addition to her career as a model and actress, Keisha was an entrepreneur with her own children's clothing line and a cosmetics line called Kissable Couture. “Over the past year, Keisha seemed to become more and more vulnerable,” the source said.
'She no longer went out as often as she used to and spent a lot of time in hospital. She hired a driver to transport her when she visited friends or went out.
“Forrest continued to have great respect for Keisha following their divorce in 2021,” the source said. “And he carries her death very heavily.”
DailyMail.com has contacted a representative for Whitaker for comment.
Keisha was married to Forest for twenty years and they share two daughters: True and Sonnet. She also has a daughter Autumn from a previous relationship and he has son Ocean from another relationship.
They married in Jamaica in 1996 before he eventually filed for divorce in 2018, citing irreconcilable differences.
True also shared this photo of her mother in her Stories
Whitaker's wife sparked concern in 2014 after seeing her thin figure with her husband at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards
The former couple with their daughters at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2007
Whitaker pictured at the opening of Badgley Mischka's new flagship store in Los Angeles in 2018
Forest and Keisha pictured at the 2007 Orange British Academy Film Awards
The couple met in 1994 on the set of the movie Blown Away.
Speaking of her husband, she previously told Ebony, “I had seen him in 'A Rage in Harlem,'” she said, according to Essence.
“I immediately thought Forest had a gentle soul and a kind spirit.”
According to her IMDb, Keisha was born on March 8, 1972 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Keisha was an actress, producer and former model. She appeared in the 2004 film Proud and was also an executive producer of the 2008 film Kassim the Dream.
She also entered the beauty industry with her luxury cosmetics line Kissable Couture.
The former couple pictured in 2007
Whitaker and his then-wife during his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony
While promoting her line in 2008, she shared Oh, Oprah magazine of starting a business: 'I have always been very ambitious. When my kids were younger, I tried to start a clothing line for kids.”
'But in a new venture you really have to commit, and at that time I was more focused on motherhood. Now that Forest has achieved its success and my children are older, I can set and achieve higher goals.”
One of the shades is named after her then husband: 'I wanted to call it something that everyone can identify with. Each shade is named after a man who gave someone I know her first kiss. I named one shadow Forest, because I was never really kissed until I met him.”
While promoting her line in 2007, she said Women's clothing everyday: 'Before and after modeling, beauty was all around me, and it became part of who I am.
“Although lipstick is making a comeback, so many people rely on lip gloss because it's so effortless.”
