Tatyana Ali

Born to Afro-Panamanian nurse mother and Indo-Trinidadian father on 24th January 1979, Tatyana Marisol Ali is a well-renowned actress and singer.

The eldest sibling to two younger sisters named Anastasia and Kimberly, she is best known for her portrayal of Ashley Banks in the ’90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Ali graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and African-American studies from Harvard University back in 2002.

Tatyana Ali Is Married to Her Fiance Turned Husband, Dr. Vaughn Rasberry

Tatyana Ali is married to her husband Dr. Vaughn Rasberry since 2016.

Tatyana Ali is married to Dr. Vaughn Rasberry since 2016.
Source: The Knot News

Back in April 2016, Tatyana made two huge announcements revealing her engagement and pregnancy at the same time.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air‘ actress revealed she was dating a man named Dr. Vaughn Rasberry. The girlfriend-boyfriend duo at the time was about to get married later that summer. That’s not all. Ali then added she was pregnant with her first child.

Husband and wife duo Tatyana Ali and Vaughn Rasberry met online.

Tatyana and Vaughn met online.
Source: Tatyana Ali Instagram

Earlier, the couple met on a dating website – eHarmony. She said,

It was my first time dating online. We wrote letters for months before we decided to Skype. And then, of course, met.

Speaking on their engagement, the actress revealed they were on a hike through the Redwoods in Yosemite where Dr. Rasberry got down on his knee in ‘the most picturesque clearing’.

Just the two of us. It was so thoughtful and perfect. We’re best friends.

This wonderful duo tied the knot on 17th July 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. Merely two months later, they welcomed their first child, a son named Edward Aszard Rasberry, born on 16th September 2016 at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.

Tatyana Ali and Vaughn Rasberry are parents to two children.

Tatyana Ali and Vaughn Rasberry are parents to two children.
Source: E! News

In August 2019, the couple welcomed their second kid together, another son named Alejandro Vaughn Rasberry. Tatyana and Vaughn currently live a blissful life together with their two children.

Tatyana Ali dated actor boyfriend Jonathan Brandis in the 90s; he committed suicide in the early 2000s

Tatyana Ali dated actor boyfriend Jonathan Brandis for three years in the 90s who committed suicide in 2003.

Tatyana Ali dated actor boyfriend Jonathan Brandis for three years.
Source: I Love Old School Music

Back in the ’90s, Tatyana Ali was in a relationship with a highly talented actor in the peak of his career named Jonathan Brandis. The actor was considered a teen sensation in pop culture back in the day.

Tatyana and Jonathan were in love during the most successful period of their careers. The couple began dating in 1995 and remained together for 3 years. However, the duo drifted apart and broke up in 1998.

Former boyfriend and girlfriend duo Tatyana Ali and Jonathan Brandis called it quits in 1998; He committed suicide in 2003.

Tatyana and Jonathan called it quits in 1998.
Source: Daily Mail

5 years later, tragedy ensued when Brandis apparently committed suicide. He was just 27 when he died.

Ali was no longer with Jonathan at the time, but they were still good friends. Speaking in the documentary titled Broken Dreams, Ali expressed her immense sadness as she got really emotional talking about his death. She implied his downward spiraling career put him over the edge.

When you’ve been on covers of magazines for years, when that stops happening, what’s your identity?

Brandis’s close friends shared similar sentiments. As per ‘sitcomsonline’, Brandis tried taking his own life, but he did not die instantly. He ended up suffering fatal injuries that took his life the following day. His mother stated he had gone out to dinner with friends. They returned to his apartment where his friends noticed him becoming increasing agitated and pacing quite a bit.

Brandis left the room while his friends were still in the apartment. After being gone for some time, one of his friends went looking for him only to find him hanging in the second-floor hallway. His friends immediately called paramedics and despite their best efforts, he was already too far gone. The actor was subsequently pronounced dead.

Watch: Jonathan Brandis Tribute, Rest In Peace 1976-2003

Jonathan who began his career at the mere age of 5, was best known for his roles in the movie Ladybug (1992) and the TV series SeaQuest 2032 (1993).

It’s extremely tragic how the actor departed so young. Childhood actors probably need appropriate coaching on how to deal with fame at a young age and how to be emotionally and psychologically healthy when the stardom inevitably begins to fade. This could save lots of lives. Unfortunately, Jonathan could not be one of them.

Tatyana Ali played the role of ‘Ashley Banks’ on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American sitcom that aired from early to mid-’90s on NBC. It ran for six seasons and aired 148 episodes from 10th September 1990 to 20th May 1996.

The series boasted an impressive cast, most notably Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, and Alfonso Ribeiro. Meanwhile, Tatyana was one of the leads who portrayed the character of Ashley Banks throughout six seasons.

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