Inside Lincoln Lawyer actress Yaya DaCosta's life from reality show troubles to Chicago Med exit

Netflix fans have been eagerly catching up with the drama of The Lincoln Lawyer season three, enthralled by the reunion of the main cast on their screens.

Among them is attorney Andrea Freeman who has caught the attention of viewers who are keen to delve into the real life of the actor portraying her.

So with rumours still circling regards to the future of The Lincoln Lawyer, here's all there is to know about actress Yaya DaCosta.

America's Next Top Model

Now aged 41, Yaya was born in New York to Brazilian and Nigerian parents and was one of four siblings.

Her early life was marked by education, with her mother working as a Montessori teacher and her father a sociology professor.

Brown University saw her dive into a melting pot of culture and politics, where she studied International Relations and African Studies.

Long before her acting credentials shone through, DaCosta made waves on 'Americas Next Top Model', hosted by Tyra Banks.

It was at the young age of 21 that she fought her way to become the runner-up of 2004, leaving a lasting impression on both the audience and the fashion .

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Despite her success, DaCosta didnt escape the pressures and criticisms that come with reality TV fame having been pegged as arrogant and cocky throughout her journey on the show by peers and judges alike.

Reflecting on her origins in showbiz, DaCosta told Wonder Mind: "I was introduced to the public, which is a very different thing, in 2004 when I participated in a reality show.

"That was really difficult for me because I only realized afterward that ... they were leading us to places that felt inauthentic to ourselves in the moment.

"After such a period of feeling lost, of confused, betrayed, I definitely had to tap into my tools and then gather more tools, prioritize my self-love, prioritize forgiveness of myself for having made that choice and allowing myself to kind of get taken, but also forgiving others who I felt had wronged me at the time.

"And [I gathered] the courage to show up repeatedly in front of that same public-not as Yaya, but as whatever elements of my being showed up in different characters that I embodied."

Acting success

DaCosta had previously expressed it was her "dream" to become an actress and following her stint on America's Next Top Model, she was able to make this dream a reality.

She went on to star in All My Children as Cassandra Foster, Ugly Betty, House, The Butler, Unforgettable and played music icon Whitney Houston in the 2015 TV movie biopic Whitney.

Her most significant role to date came in 2015 when she joined the cast of NBC's Chicago Med as April Sexton but she left at the end of season six in 2022.

It was her decision to leave the show behind, candidly telling Deadline that she "fell in love with Our Kind of People ," a Fox drama where she portrays Angela Vaughn.

Yaya added: "The show is a dream in so many ways and it's saucy and so much fun!

"And there's so much about my character that I felt was really important to bring to the forefront of our discussions. We're just playing with these serious themes and we're making them fun."

By 2024, DaCosta has taken on the role of attorney Andrea Freeman in Netflix's hit series The Lincoln Lawyer.

After a fleeting romantic encounter with Mickey in the show, DaCosta revealed to TV Insider that her character has "learned to trust herself."

"I think Andrea has had a hard time with men because the weak ones are intimidated by her, and the strong ones are in competition with her.

"And so she really has learned to rely on herself and to be her own partner, her own cheerleader, her own coach."

Tragic loss

In a heart-wrenching revelation about her personal life, DaCosta recounted the tragic loss she experienced while filming the 2013 movie Big Words.

Speaking to Complex, she said: "I was only on set for five days. The night before [shooting], I had learned of my brother's accident."

While DaCosta has not divulged the specifics of her brother's fate, she has opened up about how profoundly it affected her at the time.

She added: "Those five days, I was being told that he was in a coma, although I knew that he had already passed.

"I wanted to just be with family and be quiet and not say anything and not see people.

"I just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. And I had to perform. And it was a bubbly character.

"But it was an amazing exercise, and I thank my brother for the strength. He helped me get through it."

Family

DaCosta is a mum-of-one, having given birth to her son Sankara Alafia in September 2013.

She had him while she was involved with Sankara's father, independent film producer and director Joshua Bee Alafia. DaCosta and Alafia were together for three years before parting ways in 2015. It's thought that the star is currently single.

The Lincoln Lawyer is available to watch on Netflix.