Who are Maya Jama's parents? The story of Sadie and Hussein Jama

Maya Jama's parents, Sadie and Hussein, separated, and she was raised primarily by her mother, who she considers her best friend. The Love Island host has a non-existent relationship with her dad, whom she chose to cut out of her life when he missed her childhood due to frequent imprisonment.

It was only as I got older that I realised my friends' families weren't like mine... they had dads who were around.

Key takeaways

• Maya Jama's parents are natives of Bristol in southwest England, where she grew up before moving to London at 16.
• The 'True Love or True Lies' host was 12 when she stopped visiting her incarcerated father, Hussein, who has been trying to restore their broken relationship.
• Maya Jama's ethnicity includes Somali, Swedish, and Scottish heritage.

Maya Jama grew up in a mixed-race household

The TV presenter was born on August 14, 1994, in Bristol, to 18-year-old Sadie and Hussein Jama, a former salesman. Her mother named her after author and poet Maya Angelou. She has a younger brother called Omar.

Maya Jama's parents have British nationality, but her father, Hussein, is Somali, while her mother, Sadie, is Swedish-Scottish. Hussein's parents settled in the UK after leaving war-torn Somaliland in East Africa.

Sadie and Hussein met at a local pub in Montpelier, Bristol. Maya's dad told MailOnline in January 2023 that they bonded over their mutual love of music.

She was lovely, she was a friend of my brother, and she came up to me and started chatting me up, and we hit it off straight away.

Sadie raised Maya Jama as a single mom

Maya did not spend much of her childhood with her father, Hussein. He had frequent run-ins with the law and has been in and out of prison for violence-related crimes since he was 17. In his June 2021 interview with The Irish Sun, Hussein said that Maya's mother gave him an ultimatum before she left him and took their two kids.

When I was in jail, Sadie said, 'You can't leave me at home with two little kids so next time you go in, it's over'... In 1999, I was back inside, and Sadie kept her word and I don't blame her.

Sadie chose to raise Maya Jama and Omar as a single mother. The reality TV star told Marie Claire in early 2018 that her mother had to work multiple jobs to care for them.

She's amazing. She worked some jobs… She would hate me to say what they were because she hated them so much.

Sadie gets mistaken for Maya Jama's sister

Maya and her mother, Sadie, have a close mother-daughter relationship and have featured on several talk shows together. In early 2020, they appeared on BBC's "All Round to Mrs Brown's" where Mrs Brown remarked that they could be twin sisters and joked that Maya could be the older twin. The Love Island star replied:

That's actually not the first time I've heard that—that I look older than her.

While describing their bond, Maya told Mrs. Brown that they have more of a friendship bond. She also shared that her mother has always been supportive since she left Bristol for London at 16 years old. 

She was like, 'If it doesn't work out you can just come home' and I think that's what helped me be fearless in my move.

Maya Jama's mum remarried

Sadie found love again after splitting from Hussein Jama due to his frequent prison stints. The Love Island presenter told Marie Claire in April 2021 that she has a great relationship with her mother's partner, who filled the void left by her dad's absence.

When I was ten, my mum met my stepdad, and he is the loveliest man. I was lucky to see what a healthy and loving relationship should be.

Maya Jama's mother married her long-time partner in September 2018. The True Love or True Lies host posted the couple's celebration on Instagram with the caption:

Best day ever watching my mum marry her soulmate — one of the loveliest people I know... 18 years strong.

Maya Jama decided to cut off her estranged dad

Maya and her father, Hussein Jama, do not have a close relationship despite her past efforts to understand why he did not try to stay out of trouble. She revealed in her August 2023 British Vogue cover story that she chose to stop visiting him in prison when she was 12 years old because she was 'old enough to gather her own opinion,' adding:

One of my really deep friends who goes to therapy said that she thinks the reason why I'm so able to cut off relationships with certain people is because I cut off one with my dad at such a young age.

The TV presenter shared what it was like to have a dad in prison in the 2017 documentary When Dads Kill: Murderer in the Family. In her June 2017 interview with The Guardian, Maya shared that she used to joke about the situation when she was young so that other people would stop feeling sorry for her. She also told the publication that she did see it as a problem when she was young.

It was normal for me. My dad's side of my family was super supportive and they did everything in their power to make me and my brother not feel like we were missing out on anything.

Maya Jama's dad has expressed regret for his actions

Hussein now lives in Bristol, England, and works at a pub but has not been in touch with his famous daughter since 2017, when they featured in the documentary When Dads Kill. He told The Sun in June 2021 that he still has pictures of a young Maya, adding: 

It's weird, she is a grown woman now and is doing so well, but to me, she will always be my little girl.

In his January 2023 interview with MailOnline, he shared that Maya Jama no longer speaks to him. He told the publication he is now a changed man and wants to make things right with his children before it is too late. 

I'm sorry for everything that I did and if I could turn the clock back, I would change everything—but the past is done and there's nothing I can do... I know I wasn't the best father, and it broke my heart that I was banged up away from my children, but I'm now straight... I want Maya to know that I have changed, and we can make it work.

Maya Jama's parents may no longer be together, but their foundation shaped her into the TV powerhouse she is today. She enjoys a close bond with her mom, but it remains unclear if she and her dad will mend their broken relationship.

READ ALSO: Lauren London's parents: Who are they and what do they do?

Briefly.co.za highlighted Lauren London's family life and background. The actress was born to Terri Lynn Conner and Gary Paul London, who divorced when she was three.

Lauren is biracial with an African American mother and an Ashkenazi Jewish father. Growing up in a mixed-race household, she faced challenges with her identity before she learnt to embrace both sides of her heritage.

Source: Briefly News