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Well-known actress Yakira Chambers recently passed away at the age of 42. She was famously the story editor for the popular CBS series NCIS: Hawai’i. The show will honor her in the upcoming episode that is scheduled to premiere in January 2023.
Yakira’s family expressed their grief and said that her sudden demise had a drastic impact on all of them. They described her as someone who earned a lot of respect for their community and mentioned that she was proof of what pursuing dreams looked like in reality.
Their statement read:
“Yakira’s passion extended beyond her daily work in business; she loved helping others create a way out of no way. She believed in equality, and the demarginalization of persons of color to create a level playing field for all.”
Her family added that her interest in helping others led to the establishment of CureConstanceFoundation, which helped those who were facing health issues and could not afford treatment due to financial concerns.
According to Yakira’s family, she died from acute asphyxia, which occurred after she suddenly had trouble breathing and became unconscious on November 30. She was at a mall in Newport Beach, California, at the time and was accompanied by her mother.
A GoFundMe page was launched by Adebola Afolabi to collect funds to support Chambers' family. The page has collected more than $25,000 and aims to accumulate $70,000.
Yakira Chambers was working on a pilot intending to cover the life of former gang leader Larry Hoover prior to her death
Yakira Chambers was raised on the southside of Chicago and pursued her graduation at Southern Illinois University. She was earlier a software quality assurance manager before entering the world of entertainment.
Chambers completed her Master’s Degree in Business Administration and aimed to build a career in film and television. She joined the Los Angeles-based Baron Brown Studio and later studied at Magdalen College. Yakira started her career in 2007 and was an executive producer of the sitcom, M.O. Diaries, which premiered in 2012.
She appeared in a few films like Insecure, John Henry, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, and more. Following the announcement of NCIS: Hawai'i last year, Chambers was hired as a writer and she became the story editor while the show was renewed for a second season.
She was a part of the Writers Mentoring Program at ViacomCBS, an opportunity she acquired by competing with thousands of other applicants. Prior to her death, she was busy with a pilot intending to cover the life of former gang leader and co-founder of the street and prison gang The Gangster Disciples, Larry Hoover.
The other project she was working on was Myseducation, which was said to be inspired by her childhood experiences studying at a high school where most of the students were white.
Yakira Chambers is survived by her husband Anthony Welch, stepson Andre Welch and mother Constance Chambers.
