Persia White Biography: Meet Joseph Morgan’s Wife

Persia White is the wife of Joseph Morgan, the Vampire Dairies’ star. The duo got married in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on July 5, 2014.

Persia White (born: October 25, 1972) is a 51 year-old Bahamian-born American actress, activist, and musician.

About a decade before crossing paths with Morgan, White made a name for herself by portraying the free-spirited, professional student Lynn in the TV sitcom, Girlfriends. Her performance on the trailblazing show for black women made her a household name, and since then, she has expanded her acting repertoire to several other TV shows.

She has also made waves as a musician and even founded her own production company. Beyond Hollywood, White is also passionate about animal rights and has joined organizations such as PETA in their drive to protect animals.

Persia White’s Biography Summary

  • Full name: Persia Jessica White
  • Gender: Female
  • Date of birth: October 25, 1972
  • Age: 51 years old
  • Ethnicity: half Caucasia, half black
  • Nationality: American
  • Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Husband: Joseph Morgan (m.2014), and Saul William (2008-2009)
  • Children: Mecca White
  • Siblings: Three
  • Height in Inches: 5 ft 8 inches
  • Height in Centimetres: 173 cm
  • Weight: 57 kg (125 lb)
  • Body measurements in inches: 34-24-35
  • Body measurements in centimeters: 86-60-88
  • Net worth: $700,000
  • Famous for: Joseph Morgan’s wife
  • Instagram: missPersiaWhite
  • Twitter: @realPersiaWhite

Persia White is Half Caucasian and Half Black

Given her obvious biracial roots, many people assume that Persia White has some African-American ancestry, but this is not so. Her black roots rather stem from the Caribbean nation of the Bahamas.

Born on October 25, 1972, Persia White is the daughter of an Irish American Caucasian mom and a black Bahamian dad. She has three siblings, including at least two brothers. White spent the first five years of her life in Nassau, Bahamas. She had a largely idyllic childhood, playing on beaches and taking dance classes, but things turned sour after her dad was involved in an automobile accident when she was three.  The accident left him paralyzed, and in search of advanced medical treatment, he relocated to Miami.

White’s dad sporadically kept in touch with the family back home, but it seems the communication petered out over time as he never reconnected with their mom even after she relocated the entire family to South Florida. At the time of this relocation, Persia White was now five years old, and the situation with her dad saddened her. Her problem was further complicated by the racism that she had to deal with for the first time in her life.

Back in the Bahamas, Persia White did not experience any racism; however, in the U.S., it became an everyday occurrence. The fact that she was mixed-race made things even worse as neither the Whites nor blacks wholly accepted her. Her peers called her unprintable names, and she got into fights on several occasions to defend herself.

She has featured in Several Movies and TV Series, Including the Iconic Sitcom Girlfriends

Persia White had some bleak times growing up, but she refused to bow down. She found solace in the arts and joined the Miami Coconut Grove Children’s Theatre, where she honed her talents in dance, acting, singing, and modeling. White was particularly passionate about music, but modeling gave her a foothold in showbiz.

After finishing high school, she signed with Ford Agency. After that, she received her Screen Actors Guild card and moved to Los Angeles to broaden her career horizon. Fortunately, her decision to move has since paid off. Her first acting deal was in the 1994 film, Blue Chips. Following this project, the beautiful actress set the independent film circle on fire with roles in numerous projects such as Suddenly, Red Letters, among others.

She also gained a strong standing in TV shows. Her first TV show, NYPD Blue, was successful and opened a way for more works on shows such as Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Vampire Diaries, and The Steve Harvey Show. Persia White’s most iconic TV work remains the sitcom, Girlfriends. Girlfriends launched in 2000 and revolved around four friends, Joan, Maya, Lynn, and Toni, as they navigate their career and personal challenges.

The show featured the likes of Jill Marie Jones and Tracee Ellis Ross while Persia White portrayed Lynn. The character mirrored her real-life circumstances, such as her biracial nature, vegan lifestyle, and eclectic taste in music.

However, it diverged in the sense that Lynn was more irresponsible (she had five post-graduate degrees and couldn’t find a steady career path). Girlfriends was produced by Mara Brock Akil, and it proved to be a hit show. It ran for eight years and particularly resonated with black women who were used to seeing only White actors on prime time TV. The popularity of the show helped to make White and her co-stars a household name, and they remain synonymous with it till this very day.

She is also a Musician and Sings in the Industrial Rock Band, XE03

Asides from acting, Persia White also earns a living as a musician. The TV star has never forgotten her passion for music and describes it as the project of her heart. Her taste in music is eclectic, and she loves everything from Beyoncé to Norah Jones.

However, her favorite remains industrial rock, and she sings in a band known as XE03. She also dropped an album titled Mecca in 2009. The 12-track album is a fusion of electronica, trip-hop, blues, and prog-rock and features songs such as Wanting, Perfect, Receive, and Danger.

White has achieved so much in her more than two decades career. Among her achievements is an award for Best Performance by an Actor in American Black Film Festival. This was for her role in the 2012 film, Dysfunctional Friends.

She has also witnessed a gainful change in her fortune since starting her career. Persia White has scooped $700,000 net worth through her relentless works and hopes to join the long list of millionaires in the industry soon.

Persia White and Joseph Morgan Met in 2011

In her personal life, Persia White is happily married to British actor and director Joseph Morgan. Morgan has featured in several productions over the years, but he remains most famous for his role of Nicklaus Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries. His portrayal of the vampire-werewolf hybrid was so popular that he got his spin-off show, The Originals, which he headlines.

Persia White and Joseph Morgan first ran into each other while co-starring in The Vampire Diaries in 2011. They quickly fell for each other and started dating. They dated for about three years before getting engaged in May 2014.

She Became Joseph Morgan’s Wife In 2014

Persia White married Joseph Morgan on July 5, 2014. The destination wedding took place in Jamaica and featured their closest friends and family. It was quite rustic, intimate, natural, and beautiful. White wore a Vera Wang dress with a cathedral-length veil for the ceremony, while Morgan sported an ivory-colored Miguel Wilson silver tux and a bow tie. The couple exchanged vows before 26 guests and after that honeymooned in Negril, where they partook in several activities such as cliff jumping.

The marriage marked the second trip down the aisle for the bride. Persia White’s first husband is not Joseph Morgan but singer/rapper/ actor Saul Williams. Williams is a native New Yorker and is renowned for his blend of poetry and alt hip-hop. He has dropped more than six studio albums. He is also an actor and has featured in movies such as Slam and Holler If Ya Hear Me.

White and Williams first met on the set of Girlfriends in 2003 after the rapper guest-starred in it. They started dating that same year. They remained together for five years before tying the knot in 2009. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make their marriage last long, and it ended the following year.

The Couple Co-own a Production Company known as Night Owl

Persia White was 42 years old, while Joseph Morgan was 33 years old at the time of their wedding. This made for a nine-year age difference between them and raised many eyebrows. The couple refused to pay heed to it and forged on with their romance.

Today, their marriage has lasted for so many years, and it keeps on getting stronger. They have not faced any scandals but rather remain focused on achieving their dreams. The couple travels with and supports each other on set. They have also attended several red carpet events and industry awards together.

White and Morgan have also gone into business together and co-founded a production company known as Night Owl. The company is dedicated to producing content that is diverse, eclectic, and female-driven. Persia White and Joseph Morgan split their time between the U.K. and the U.S. and prefer to keep their romance simple.

They regularly do stuff like going out to dinner or the movies. They also like to travel together, especially to destinations near the sea, such as The Big Sur. The couple also shares a passion for protecting animals. To this end, they are both vegans and eat what they describe as a compassionate diet inspired by their compassion for voiceless animals. It was this compassion that made them insist on a plant-based menu and a vegan cake for their wedding reception.

Persia White has a Daughter Named Mecca White from a Past Relationship

During their wedding, Persia White expressed hope that she and her husband would have lots of little cute mini Josephs running around soon. That is yet to happen, but they are not stressing as the actress has a grown daughter named Mecca from a past relationship.

White gave birth to Mecca on October 7, 1995. She was about 24 years old at the time and must have had some tough times as a single mother. However, she endured, juggling both motherhood and acting, and ultimately triumphed in the end. Persia White has refused to name her baby daddy. She is rather dedicated to giving her daughter a good life, and her efforts have paid off as Mecca has followed her footsteps into acting, directing, etc.

Mecca White grew up accompanying her mom to movie sets and fell in love with the whole thing. She viewed acting as the most fun job in the world and was quite happy when she was offered a minor role in the fourth season of Girlfriends in 2003. She was about eight years old at the time, and this marked the start of a lifelong journey into showbiz.

Mecca White graduated with a degree in film/cinema/video studies from Los Angeles Film School in 2016. She also honed her craft at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and the New York Film Academy.

The young lady has featured in several theatrical productions, including Footloose, Little Shops of Horror, and Twelfth Night. She has also appeared in a handful of movies and TV series, namely Iconic and Dhar Mann. Mecca White is also trying her hands at filmmaking and released a short film titled Juice Truck in 2018.

The film tells the story of two socially-awkward women who try to start a business in L.A., and Mecca not only co-starred in it but directed, wrote, edited, and produced. All of her hard work paid off as she won the award for the best female filmmaker at the 2018 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards.

Mecca White is quite close to her mom as well as her stepdad. She was about 19 years old when her mom remarried, so they were no feelings of misplaced jealousy. She was rather happy that her mom had found her special someone, and that remains the status to date. The young lady has established good relations with her stepfather and taken his surname as her middle name. He has also assisted her in her career by giving her a role in his 2017 short film, Carousel.

The Actress is Passionate about Animal Rights and Has Worked with Organizations such as PETA

Asides from her music and movies, Persia White has also made the news for her activism on human and animal rights and environmental protection. The Girlfriends’ star is particularly vocal about her support for animal rights and is an active supporter of organizations such as PETA, Humane Society of the US, Global Green, and Farm Sanctuary, etc. She featured in an anti-fur campaign for PETA, which depicts her holding a skinned and bloody fox. She has also opposed the cruel and destructive mass slaughter of harp seal pups in Canada.

White’s activism on animal rights fetched her 2005 humanitarian of the year award from PETA. She has also been appointed a board member for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. This is a U.K.-based organization dedicated to upholding international maritime conservation law to protect whales, dolphins, seals, and all marine wildlife.

Key Facts:

  1. How did Joseph Morgan and Persia White meet? Answer: Joseph Morgan and Persia White met on the set of The Vampire Diaries while filming the third season.
  2. When did Joseph Morgan and Persia White get married? Answer: Joseph Morgan and Persia White got married in 2014.
  3. What was Persia White’s role in The Vampire Diaries? Answer: She played the role of Abby Bennett Wilson in The Vampire Diaries from 2012 to 2017.
  4. What was Persia White’s role in Girlfriends? Answer: Persia White played the role of Lynn Ann Searcy on the show Girlfriends from 2000 until its finale in 2008.
  5. What award did Persia White win at the American Black Film Festival in 2011? Answer: Persia White won the award for Best Actor in a Feature Film at the American Black Film Festival for Dysfunctional Friends.
  6. Does Persia White have any children? Answer: Yes, she has a daughter named Mecca from a previous relationship.
  7. Is Persia White’s daughter Mecca also an actres? Answer: Yes, Mecca is an actress and filmmaker.
  8. What is Mecca’s clothing line called? Answer: Mecca has her own “surf/skate-inspired” clothing line called White Lion.
  9. When was Persia White’s album released? Answer: Her album, Mecca, was released in 2009.
  10. How many tracks are on Persia White’s album? Answer: There are 12 tracks on Persia White’s album, Mecca.
  11. What type of music does Persia White’s album feature? Answer: Her album combines elements of “electronica, trip-hop, blues, and prog-rock.”
  12. What was Joseph Morgan’s role in The Originals? Answer: Joseph Morgan starred in The Originals from 2013 to 2018, reprising his role as Klaus Mikaelson from The Vampire Diaries.
  13. When did Joseph Morgan confirm his appearance in the series finale of Legacies? Answer: Joseph Morgan confirmed his appearance in the series finale of Legacies on Instagram.
  14. What did Joseph Morgan say about his wife’s support when he directed his first episode of The Originals? Answer: Joseph Morgan said that his wife, Persia White, was “just incredible during the whole process. She was just so utterly supportive. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
Angela Lee
Angela Lee
Angela is a New York City-based writer with a passion for entertainment, lifestyle, and human-interest stories

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