Queen Latifah, most known for being an American rapper and actress, does it all. Whether you have seen her in movies, TV shows, or have heard her songs on the radio, Queen Latifah is an inspiration to women all over the world. Since her debut album in 1989 and to this previous season of “The Equalizer,” she has continued to prove her talents time and time again.
For some backstory, Dana Elaine Owens was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 18, 1970. When she was a child, she was nicknamed “Latifah,” which means ‘delicate’ in Arabic. She had been drawn to music all her life, which led her to release her first album at just 19-years-old, All Hail the Queen; this album helped redefine the male-dominated genre of rap, and her experimental style mixed rap with hints of reggae, soul, and R&B. Her hard work was noticed with 7 Grammy nominations and her first win for Best Rap Solo Performance for “U.N.I.T.Y.” in 1995.
Queen Latifah was attracted to the Hollywood lifestyle and starred in her first movie, Jungle Fever in 1991. Rather than her regular roles, she was able to apply her musical capabilities on the big screen in Hairspray (2007), and her Oscar-nominating role for best-supporting actress in Chicago (2002). Her most recent role is Robyn McCall, a former CIA agent that helps bring justice to other intelligence in the series, “The Equalizer” (2021). Watch select episodes for free on CBS’ website here.
Despite the celebrity life she lives, Queen Latifah has endured many difficult situations while she was growing up. She experienced the divorce of her parents when she was just 8-years-old, along with the death of her older brother, Lance Owens Jr. Lance died in a motorbike accident in 1992, and Queen Latifah wears the key to the bike around her neck to this day. After his death, she admitted falling victim to depression and drug abuse; she, fortunately, recovered quickly after.
Although Queen Latifah has not made any comments toward her sexual orientation, Eboni Nichols has been her long-term partner for quite some time now. Eboni is an actress, singer, and now works as a choreographer. Queen Latifah and Eboni first met in 2009 when they worked on Dancing With the Stars, and it is assumed that they started dating in 2013. Queen Latifah has told The New York Times that she has a problem discussing her personal life to the public and she says “I don’t care if people think I’m gay or not. Assume whatever you want. You do it anyway.” No matter her sexuality, I think we can all agree that she and Eboni make a beautiful, happy couple.
Her Emmy, Golden Globe, Grammy, and Oscar nominations are just a fraction of why Queen Latifah is our #WCW for this week. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for a new season of Queen Latifah kicking some major ass in “The Equalizer.”