Trigger Warning: This story contains content regarding rape, child abuse, transphobia, and suicide.
Actor Malik Yoba recently took to Instagram to come out as “trans attracted” (attracted to people of transgender identity), and he received a ton of support from the social media community. However, his recent revelation also triggered a transgender woman to share on Facebook that the Empire actor had previously paid her for sex while she was a teenager and shouldn’t be praised for his honesty, as News One reports.
“NYs Child Sex Abuse law means Malik will have to face the music. Sorry to burst a lot of folks bubbles,” Mariah Lopez Ebony wrote in a Facebook status on Sunday. The Facebook status has since gone viral.
“Surviving Malik Yoba: We had sex, when I was just a teen. For all who applaud and solute [sic] Malik Yoba for revealing he is so-called ‘Trans Attracted’, understand that either because of deeper issues he has or, because of ‘society’ pushing him and others to deep, dark places, his admission to being sexually attracted to Trans women, is bound to open a Pandora’s box for him; not because the women are Trans, But because many of the Trans women he engaged in sexual exploration and exploitation with on 14th Street, Times Square and elsewhere, were minors. Including myself,” Ebony wrote at the beginning of her Facebook status.
“I started seeing him personally, with my own two eyes, cruising around the meatpacking district and Village, large black Jeep, looking for Trans fem sex workers, he preferred black trans girls; pretty, slim girls, but would pick up a latinx if she was put together and/or looked mixed,” Ebony continued.
Ebony then claimed that her experience with Yoba who is known for his role as a detective on the ’90s hit show New York Undercover transpired over two decades ago, but that she still remembers every detail.
“That was close to 20 years ago, and I can still remember it like yesterday. I also remember the day a friend of mine said, real cool, like she was known to do ‘…….walk down that block..Just go! He wants You……’ You always remember celebrity clients. It’s like time slows down. You remember every detail, Blood pounding. He was cute, and polite, don’t get me wrong. But I’m sure he knew what he was doing, was wrong,” Ebony explained.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 05: Malik Yoba attends the Los Angeles Premiere of “American Woman” on June 5, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
“New York Undercover was still on t.v.. I remember living in group homes and being in institutions, and giggling when he and the actor who played his partner would flash across the t.v. Screen. Most group homes didn’t have cable, so NY Undercover and all the other shows on the basic ny channels were staples. Some of the other kids could tell something was up; I knew they’d never believe my ‘story’ anyway,” Ebony continued before claiming that New York’s sex abuse laws would catch up with the actor.
“There is a trend of men of color being embraced by the Queer community, for liking Trans women, despite overwhelming evidence of character flaws……glaring signs that sex addiction, substance abuse; unchecked mental health issues and inner demons are what drive men to the bungee jumping of sex; F—IN or SUCKIN a Trans person. That’s not love. Period,” Ebony said.
“What Malik paid me to do, as a 13 and 16 year old, wasnt love. His ignoring that I was clearly a child prostitute, wasn’t love. Paying for cheap thrills and secret orgasms; begging for unsafe, unprotected sex from a runaway Trans teen, while enjoying stardom as a successful artist and businessman ….isn’t love.”
“Where was his LOOOOOOOOVVVVEEE for Trans women over the last 20 years? Where are his Trans girlfriends? Something tells me I’m not the only one who got some dirt on this individual and, something also tells me that he didn’t just up-and-decide to ‘come out’, he was pushed,” Ebony continued.
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 16: Actor Malik Yoba attends the Thurgood Marshall College Fund 27th Annual Awards Gala at the Washington Hilton on November 16, 2015 in Washington, DC.
The mother of two of Malik Yoba’s children also took to social media to express her qualms with the actor revealing his truth on Instagram, as News One reported.
“As the mother of our two beautiful children you already know how my support for you has always been unconditional,” she wrote. “I expressed that 2 months ago to you when I became aware of your current trans relationship,” she continued in her comment. “Why did you NOT have a conversation with our children and wait till last night to text our 1st born with this info. Yet you were preparing your Public months ago on IG! Our children support you and keep so much a secret of what really goes down with our family dynamic. I asked to meet you over a month ago and you have yet to make time. So here I am !! If you know better then do better! Family is first over ALL.”
On Thursday, August 26, Yoba posted a video on his Instagram account of 20-year-old Maurice Willoughby being teased for being in a relationship with a transwoman. It was reported that Willoughby committed suicide on Aug. 20 due to being bullied. However, Willoughby’s girlfriend explained that he was struggling with drug abuse on Facebook.
Yoba’s post that was in support of the 20-year-old, and in the post he declared that he is also attracted to both trans and cisgender women.
“I love ALL women AND count MYSELF among those that find themselves trans attracted and I too have felt the self-imposed shame that comes with that truth but it’s time to speak up,” Yoba wrote. “It is NOT about GENITALIA OR SEX but about attraction to the soul and humanity of an individual and often the beauty that is in the courage and conviction to live ones truth! As a self identified cis heterosexual man I too am learning what it means to be trans attracted.”