Yaya DaCosta is an American actress and model. She stepped into stardom when she appeared on a reality television show, America’s Next Top Model, in 2004, and won as its runner-up. Born in New York, the cosmopolitan city of Harlem, Yaya not only modeled but ventured into acting and was able to really make a mark for herself in Hollywood.
She may be remembered for her role as April Sexton in Chicago Med, wherein she plays the role of a compassionate nurse. She has even acted in films such as The Butler and played a biopic of Whitney Houston in her film career, which depicts how versatile an actress she is.
However, Yaya is more than just those roles. She’s a passionate voice for speaking about diversity and social justice with eloquence and using her position as a vessel. With earthy character and commitment to make things better, she’s a person admired both off and on the set.
As of May 2025, Yaya DaCosta is 42 years and 6 months old, her estimated net worth is $1.5 million, and she stands at a height of 5 feet 7 (170 cm or 1.7 m) tall.
Bio / Wiki
Full Name
Camara DaCosta Johnson
Nickname
Yaya DaCosta, Yaya Alafia, Yaya Da Costa Johnson
Profession
Model, Actress
Career
Debut
Film
Take the Lead (2006)
TV Show
America’s Next Top Model (2004)
Breakthrough
Appearing on the 3rd season of the reality TV show, America’s Next Top Model (2004)
Awards
Personal Profile and Background Details
Date of Birth
November 15, 1982
Age
As of today, Yaya is 42 years, 6 months, and 2 days old.
Zodiac sign
Scorpio
Signature
Nationality
American
Birth Place
Harlem, New York City, New York, United States of America
Residence
New York, United States of America
School / College / University
Northfield Mount Hermon School
Brown University
Religion
Christianity
Race / Ethnicity
African-Brazilian, African-American, Cherokee Native American, Irish ancestry
Hobbies
Yoga, creating DIY beauty products, cooking.
Physical Attributes and Measurements
| Height in feet | 5′ 7″ |
| Height in Centimeters | 170 cm |
| Height in meters | 1.70 m |
| Weight in kilograms | 56 kg |
| Weight in Pounds | 123.5 lbs |
| Body Measurements |
33 – 23 – 35 inches
|
| Shoe size | 8 (US) |
| Dress size | 4 (US) |
| Bra size | 32A |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
Family
Yaya DaCosta comes from a family that was so richly fed by education and the fight for what is right. Her father, Carl Awolowo Johnson, was a professor of university standing and a civil rights activist who participated in the Civil Rights Movement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Her mother, Orundun DaCosta, was a school teacher and activist. These lessons taught Yaya very early to fight for social justice and not be ashamed of her roots.
Yaya comes from a close-knit family of two brothers, Mamadou and Djani, and a sister, Djassi, who is a dancer. It was really creative and supportive at home in shaping her to be who she is today.
She married filmmaker Joshua Bee Alafia in 2012, but although they’re no longer together, she also has a son named Sankara, born in 2013. She often says that becoming a mother has given her life new meaning and happiness.
Husband
Joshua Bee Alafia (2012–2015) (Divorced)
Father
Carl Awolowo Johnson (University professor)
Mother
Orundun DaCosta (School teacher)
Siblings
Djassi DaCosta Johnson (Sister) (Dancer)
Mamadou Johnson (Brother)
Djani Johnson (Brother)
Children
Sankara Alafia (Son) (Born in 2013)
Relationship & More
Marital Status
Single
Marriage Date
June 26, 2012
Boyfriend and Dating History
Joshua Bee Alafia (2012–2015)
Net worth 2025
$1.5 million
As of May 2025, it’s estimated that YaYa DaCosta has a net worth of about $1.5 million. She is an entertainer who makes her money from many pieces of endeavours, including acting, modeling, advertisement endorsements, and sometimes activism and advocacy. Here is the in-depth look at where Yaya DaCosta makes her money, what she takes home and how financially she handles her success.
1. Television Acting
A television actress, Yaya DaCosta is the most steady source of income. Her most notable role was on Chicago Med, where her character April Sexton gained great popularity and significantly improved her exposure and paycheck. She portrayed the role for six seasons from 2015 to 2021.
Approx. Chicago Med Earnings:
In a long-running series, for instance, TV actors in the network television like NBC, normally start low during the early seasons and increase as the show receives popularity. Yaya might have earned some $50,000 to $80,000 an episode during her last seasons. With respect to most the seasons of Chicago Med having about 20 episodes, the annual provided to her from one source might have been between $1 million to $1.6 million during peak times.
Other TV Work
Chicago Med was not the only TV show she did beforehand. Her resume includes Ugly Betty and House, among other shows. Those gigs paid a fraction of what she could potentially earn from Chicago Med. However, they helped her get her foot in the door as an actress while giving her semi-regular paychecks. For guest appearances and recurring parts, TV actors earn around $15,000 to $25,000 an episode. What she did on her other shows would have been a smaller but reliable paycheck.
Film Acting
Yaya has acted in a few movies, though not as many film credits on her account as she holds for her work on television. Some of her notable film roles include:
- Whitney (2015): Whitney Houston was portrayed in a lifetime biopic by Yaya, Whitney. Although there is no public figure of what that would be paid for it, the salary for the lead role on a movie for TV like that on Lifetime could pay anywhere from 50,000 to 200,000 dollars. Because this role was such a high-profile one, Yaya’s pay for Whitney likely was on the higher end of the scale for that.
- The Butler (2013): She had a small supporting role in this ensemble film that features a who’s who in Hollywood talent, including Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey. In supporting roles of any size for big budget productions within Hollywood films, actors may earn $20,000 to $100,000 depending upon the size of the support actor along with the budget for the film.
3. Modeling
Yaya DaCosta began to gain attention following her becoming the first runner-up on America’s Next Top Model in 2004. When she lost, that was the moment when she became highly successful as that unearthed an industrious modeling career. Modeling is still one of the secondary sources of income for Yaya DaCosta while acting seems to dominate her present time.
- Print Modeling to ANTM: Despite getting work post ANTM, Yaya started getting work from top brands, from high-fashion magazines to campaigns. A top model can charge anywhere between $10,000 to 100,000 per event depending on the scale of the brand and campaign. Yaya was doing a lot of modeling work, especially in the early 2000s while still creating her acting career.
- She has been featured on billboards for Garnier and Sephora. For such endorsement engagements, the pay can vary between $50,000 and $500,000 depending on the length of time the campaign runs and the brand’s market.
4. Brand Collaborations and Sponsorships
Even though Yaya hasn’t had such massive endorsement deals as some other celebrities, she has made other brand collaborations fit to her brand that fall in beautification and wellness products.
- Beauty Endorsements: Yaya has endorsed Garnier Fructis, one of the popular hair care products, and other beauty-related products. She could reportedly range from $50,000 to $100,000 for such campaigns.
5. Other Projects: Social Advocacy & Speaking Engagements
As a supplementary source of income, social advocacy work and speaking for Yaya can also help produce additional income. She belongs to a strong social justice-rooted family, has been participating in activist events and campaigns, and has been involved in her family’s affairs as well.
- Public Speaking and Panels: Public speaking engagements or participating in programs such as panels or addresses on matters pertaining to diversity, social justice, and women’s empowerment; speakers such as Yaya might get paid anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 per appearance depending upon the occasion .
6. Residuals and Royalties
Like most actors, Yaya likely earns residuals from any television or film work she has done previously. Residuals are payments made by actors when TV shows or films they appear in are reused or distributed on any digital delivery system. That includes a show like Chicago Med, to which reruns can be frequently used and the show streams on Peacock, residual payments could add up to continue bringing in earnings for years after the shows have initially aired.
- Projected Residual Income: Residuals vary greatly, but an actor on a network television series might take in between $5,000 and $20,000 annually from re-airs and streaming dollars. Since Chicago Med has been on the air so ubiquitously, Yaya likely could be raking in an annual residual of between $5,000 and $20,000 depending upon how many times her episodes aired or streamed.
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Social Media Profiles
facebook.com/OfficialYayaDaCosta
