Jameela Jamil
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Jameela Alia Jamil (born 25 February 1986) is an English actress, activist and presenter. She began her career on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
, where she hosted a pop culture series in the '' T4'' strand from 2009 until 2012. She then became the radio host of ''
The Official Chart ''The Official Chart'' is a long-running United Kingdom music chart programme, airing each Friday afternoon on BBC Radio 1. It airs the UK singles chart compiled by the Official Charts Company. In July 2015 ''The Official Chart'' moved from ...
'', and co-hosted '' The Official Chart Update'' alongside Scott Mills on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
. She was the first regular solo female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 chart show. In 2016, Jamil moved to the United States. She played Tahani Al-Jamil in the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
fantasy comedy series ''
The Good Place ''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy-comedy television series created by Michael Schur for NBC. The series premiered on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons consisting of 53 episodes. Although the pl ...
''. She also hosted the TBS late-night game show '' The Misery Index'' and was one of the judges of the voguing reality competition show '' Legendary''. In 2022, Jamil worked on two
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
projects: the animated film '' DC League of Super-Pets'' and the live-action television series '' She-Hulk: Attorney at Law''. Since 2022, she has voiced the character Asencia in the science fiction series '' Star Trek: Prodigy''.


Early life

Jameela Alia Jamil was born on 25 February 1986 to Ali and Shireen Jamil. She is of Pakistani descent on her mother's side and Indian descent on her father's side. Jamil grew up in several areas, which she attributed to her parents' lack of money; she moved from
Dulwich Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half of H ...
to
Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...
before spending time in Spain and Pakistan, where each of her grandmothers lived. Upon returning to England, she lived in Camden,
Belsize Park Belsize Park is a residential area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, in the Inner London, inner North West London, north-west of London, England. The residential streets are lined with Georgian and Victorian villas and mews houses. ...
,
Swiss Cottage Swiss Cottage is an area in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. The area was ...
, and
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
, the latter as a teenager in a council flat. As a child, she faced numerous health problems, being born with
congenital A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at childbirth, birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disability, disabilities that may be physical disability, physical, intellectual disability, intellectual, or dev ...
hearing loss and
labyrinthitis Labyrinthitis is inflammation of the labyrinth, a maze of fluid-filled channels in the inner ear. Vestibular neuritis is inflammation of the vestibular nerve (the nerve in the ear that sends messages related to motion and position to the brain) ...
, which she has had several operations to correct, and that she had 70% hearing ability in her left ear and 50% in her right ear. At nine, she was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting the connective tissue in the body, and at 12 with
coeliac disease Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine. Patients develop intolerance to gluten, which is present in foods such as wheat, rye, spelt ...
. She experienced
mercury poisoning Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to exposure to mercury. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashe ...
at 21, which she attributes to mercury leakage from amalgam teeth fillings, exacerbated by their improper removal, which damaged her digestive system. As a teenager she suffered from
anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by Calorie restriction, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. Individuals wit ...
, and describes not eating a full meal between the ages of 14 and 17. She believes her eating disorder developed due to societal pressure, including magazine articles selling weight loss products. At age 17, she was struck by a car while running from a bee, breaking several bones and damaging her spine. She describes being told that she might never walk again, but slowly recovering after
steroid A steroid is an organic compound with four fused compound, fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes t ...
treatment and
physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...
, using a Zimmer frame to start walking. She credits the car accident for pushing her toward recovery from anorexia, saying it changed her relationship with her body. She attended Queen's College School in London but was unable to complete her
A-Levels The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...
, citing the accident. She has said she then taught English to foreign students at the Callan School of English in London for two years. In a 2013 interview with ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', she said she worked as a model scout but never as a model; however, in 2020, she said she worked as a model but denied being one in early interviews, saying she hid this because she was not successful at modelling. She also describes having worked as a photographer, scout and model agent for Premier Model Management.


Career


2009–2015: Early media career

Jamil said in an
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
interview that she was working as a teacher when she was discovered by a producer at a bar and asked to audition as a presenter. She also said she applied to be a presenter by email after seeing a '' T4'' (youth slot of British free-to-air
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
) job advertisement. Jamil appeared on ''Music Zone'' on E4, the digital / free to view entertainment channel owned by
Channel Four Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded entirely by its commer ...
, toward the end of 2008. She then began presenting at
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's youth slot '' T4'' in 2009. In January 2009, when the previous presenter,
Alexa Chung Alexa Chung (born 5 November 1983) is an English model and television personality. Chung pursued a modelling career as a teenager after being scouted by a modelling agency at the Reading Festival. She has walked for brands such as Vivienne Westw ...
, left the morning TV show '' Freshly Squeezed'', Jamil succeeded her as co-host, alongside
Nick Grimshaw Nicholas Peter Andrew Grimshaw (born 14 August 1984), nicknamed "Grimmy", is an English broadcaster and author. He became known for having hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1. He is also known as a television presenter for his Channel 4 rol ...
. In 2010, Jamil presented ''The Closet'', an online fashion advice show on the social networking site Bebo produced by Twenty Twenty. Jamil also started working as an event DJ in 2010. She has said that her first show was at Elton John's birthday party, where she says she was invited to DJ because she lied about having prior experience. In subsequent interviews and social media, she said she worked as a DJ for eight years, after studying music for six years on a music scholarship. From 2011 to 2014 she wrote a column for the women's monthly magazine ''
Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
''. In January 2012, Jamil replaced June Sarpong as host of the reality show ''
Playing It Straight ''Playing It Straight'' is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series premiered on March 12, 2004, although it was prematurely cancelled by the network following the broadcast of its third ep ...
,'' in which a group of gay men lie about their sexuality and compete with a group of straight men for a woman's affections to win money. In June 2012, Jamil collaborated with
Very Very may refer to: * English's prevailing intensifier Businesses * The Very Group The Very Group Limited is a multi-brand online retailer and financial services provider in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its head offices are based in the ...
to debut her first fashion collection. At the end of 2012, she became the radio host of ''
The Official Chart ''The Official Chart'' is a long-running United Kingdom music chart programme, airing each Friday afternoon on BBC Radio 1. It airs the UK singles chart compiled by the Official Charts Company. In July 2015 ''The Official Chart'' moved from ...
'' and co-host of '' The Official Chart Update'' alongside Scott Mills on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
. Jamil made radio history, becoming the first sole female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 ''Chart'' ''show.''


2016–present: Transition into acting

Jamil left London in 2016 and moved to Los Angeles. She recounts having no plans to act, and that she instead intended to work as a screenwriter. While working as a writer at 3 Arts, her agents told her that
Michael Schur Michael Herbert Schur (born October 29, 1975) is an American television writer, producer, director, and actor. He started his career as a writer for ''Saturday Night Live'' (1998–2004) before gaining acclaim as a writer and producer of the si ...
, who co-created '' Parks and Recreation'', was looking for a British actress for an upcoming comedy series. Having no acting experience at this point, she went for the audition and told the casting director that she had stage acting experience. She was later recalled for a second interview with Schur and the producers, in which she claimed to have comedy
improv Improv may refer to: *Improvisation, an act of spontaneous invention **Improvisational theatre (includes improvisational comedy) **Musical improvisation Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of im ...
experience. She was eventually given the role. In September 2016, the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
fantasy comedy series ''
The Good Place ''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy-comedy television series created by Michael Schur for NBC. The series premiered on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons consisting of 53 episodes. Although the pl ...
'' premiered, with Jamil as a regular cast member, playing Tahani Al-Jamil. Jamil's character became known for her tendency to name drop. Jamil made her first American magazine cover on the February 2018 issue of ''The Cut''. She provided her voice as a guest on the animated television series ''
DuckTales DuckTales refers to: Film and television * ''DuckTales'' (1987 TV series), original TV series ** '' DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp'' * ''DuckTales'' (2017 TV series), reboot TV series Video games * ''DuckTales'' (video game) ...
''. In the same year, Jamil hosted a recurring segment on ''
Last Call with Carson Daly ''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with '' ...
'' during its final season, "Wide Awake with Jameela Jamil". Jamil's boyfriend, musician James Blake, said that she contributed to the production of his fourth album, '' Assume Form'', in 2017–18; she is credited as an additional producer to five songs on the album. Since 2019, Jamil has been the host of '' The Misery Index'', a comedy game show on TBS. In 2018, Jamil joined the cast of Disney's Indian-inspired cartoon set in fictional Jalpur. '' Mira, Royal Detective'' debuted in March 2020, with Jamil playing Mira's Auntie Pushpa. In March 2020, she posed in a suit and tie for ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' magazine's "On Speech" issue. She later tweeted, "From my Playboy shoot, I wanted to be shot like a man. No retouching, hi res, loose, comfortable clothes and completely unsexualized. I felt extremely free." In April 2020, she debuted her podcast ''I Weigh with Jameela Jamil'', which focuses on women's accomplishments, body positivity, activism and racial inclusivity. In October 2020, the podcast was nominated for an E! People's Choice Award. She was also the host of the first season of the SmartLess podcast ''Bad Dates''. In June 2021, Jamil was cast as the supervillain Mary MacPherran / Titania in the
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
streaming series '' She-Hulk: Attorney at Law'' (2022), set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
. Also in 2022, she voiced
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
in the animated film '' DC League of Super-Pets''. In 2021, Jamil contributed to the production of Blake's fifth album, '' Friends That Break Your Heart'', adding additional production to its first single, "Say What You Will".


Activism

Late in 2015, Jamil launched ''Why Not People?,'' an events and membership company dedicated to hosting live entertainment events accessible to people with disabilities. In March 2018, Jamil created an
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account called I Weigh, inspired by a picture that she came across online of Kourtney, Kim and Khloé Kardashian with their half-sisters Kendall and
Kylie Jenner Kylie Kristen Jenner (born August 10, 1997) is an American media personality, socialite and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' from 2007 to 2021 and then the Hulu reality televisi ...
, detailing each woman's weight. Jamil describes I Weigh as "a movement... for us to feel valuable and see how amazing we are, and look past the flesh on our bones". The account welcomes submissions of followers' non-edited or airbrushed selfies using the hashtag #iweigh, with text describing the things that they feel grateful for or proud of. In part due to this work, Jamil was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women during 2018. Jamil has been a critic of diet shakes and appetite suppressants. She explained that in her teens she starved herself, took laxatives and tips from celebrities on how to maintain a low weight. She has criticised the
Kardashians The Kardashian family ( ), also referred to as the Kardashian–Jenner family, is an American family prominent in the fields of law, entertainment, reality television, fashion design, and business. Through different ventures, several members of ...
, rapper
Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...
, and other influencers for promoting diet suppressants on social media. Jamil created a petition on change.org titled "Stop celebrities promoting toxic diet products on social media", with a goal of reaching 150,000 signatures. She called upon social media networks such as
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
,
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, and
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
to ban the practice, noting its dangerous effects on teenagers. In September 2019, Instagram rolled out new global policy restrictions to help protect teen users. Using social media, Jamil often criticises media industry standards and labels other female celebrities "double agents of the
patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...
" by promoting unhealthy
body image Body image is a person's thoughts, feelings and perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body. The concept of body image is used in several disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, psycho ...
, often invoking her own experience of having an eating disorder in her arguments. In 2013, she criticised
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
in her column for ''
Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
'' magazine, blaming her for maintaining a relationship with her abuser for fame, smoking marijuana, and posting "provocative images on Instagram to millions of hungry followers". In 2014, she voiced her disapproval of
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
sexualising her public image like
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
, Rihanna,
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
,
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea ( ), is an Australian rapper. Born in Sydney, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She earned public recognition ...
and criticised all these artists for "delud ngthemselves into thinking it's 'feminism' if you get your fanny out on 'your terms'." In 2019, she called out rapper
Cupcakke Elizabeth Eden Harris (born May 31, 1997), known professionally as Cupcakke (often stylized as cupcakKe; pronounced "cupcake"), is an American rapper and singer-songwriter known for her Sexualization, hypersexualized, brazen, and often comical ...
on Twitter for posting about doing a water fast. Jamil often criticises
Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
for promoting unhealthy body ideals, such as by wearing a corset, promoting body makeup to cover skin imperfections such as
psoriasis Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small localized patches to complete b ...
and offering maternity shapewear for her fashion line. In February 2020, she encountered criticism for taking a role as a host of the HBO voguing contest show Legendary, as she was not perceived as queer. Afterwards she came out as queer in response. In August 2020, Jamil announced on Twitter that she was deleting tweets from 2009 to 2020 in order to make her account more activism-focused. In November 2020, Jamil claimed that it was a third-party app that caused her Twitter posts to disappear in the previous months, and that she had deleted her entire
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
post history to figure out why her posts were being removed. Jamil is against the airbrushing of editorial images and refuses to retouch all her photo shoots. She is also critical of fashion and modelling industry standards and remarked that runway models looked "long-starved" and "terrified". Jamil frequently references
Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing and beauty products, beauty retailer. Founded in 1977 by a Stanford graduate student and his wife, Roy Raymond, Roy and Gaye Raymond, the company's five lingerie stores were sold to Les Wexner i ...
models as a
counterexample A counterexample is any exception to a generalization. In logic a counterexample disproves the generalization, and does so rigorously in the fields of mathematics and philosophy. For example, the fact that "student John Smith is not lazy" is a c ...
to her own identity. She also called Chanel designer
Karl Lagerfeld Karl Otto Lagerfeld also called Kaiser Karl (; 10 September 1933 – 19 February 2019) was a German fashion designer, photographer, and creative director. Lagerfeld began his career in fashion in the 1950s, working for several top fashion hous ...
a "ruthless, fat-phobic misogynist" after his death. Jamil also supports climate change awareness, expressing her admiration for
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Jane Fonda filmography, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of List of a ...
,
Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3January 2003) is a Swedish climate activist, climate and political activist initially known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to climate change mitigation, mitigate the effec ...
and several other climate change activists. In 2023, Jamil signed an open letter expressing "serious concerns about editorial bias" in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''s reporting on transgender people. The letter characterized the newspaper's reporting as using "an eerily familiar mix of pseudoscience and euphemistic, charged language", and raised concerns about the ''Times''s employment practices for trans contributors.


Charity

Jamil appeared on C4 ''Orange Rockcorps 2009'', volunteering to help create a concert to fund local community projects. She has supported the Cultural Learning Alliance, which promotes access to culture for children and young people, and Vinspired National Awards for people aged 16–25 who have contributed to their communities through volunteering. Jamil designed her own version of
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
to be auctioned off with all the proceeds going to Childline. She also said she would wear a chicken costume for the number of days equal to the number of thousands of pounds she raises for
Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...
. She was sponsored approximately £16,000 and wore the costume for 16 consecutive days.


Honours

Jamil was one of 15 women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British ''Vogue'' "Forces for Change", by guest editor
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (; born Rachel Meghan Markle, August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family, media personality, entrepreneur, and former actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son ...
. On 2 August 2019, Jamil was awarded "Advocate of the Year" from the Ehlers-Danlos Society. Jamil received the "Phenom" award from the 12th annual
Shorty Awards The Shorty Awards (also known as "The Shortys") are awards for outstanding and innovative work in digital and social media content by brands, advertising agencies, and creators. The awards, which generally focus on short-term content, honor achiev ...
on 3 May 2020.


Personal life

Jamil has been in a relationship with musician James Blake since 2015. She publicly declared herself as
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
after her appointment as a judge of voguing reality series '' Legendary'' received heavy criticism, as voguing
ball culture The Ballroom scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture. The scene traces its origins to the drag balls of the mid-19th century United State ...
is rooted in Black and Latino
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
communities in New York. Jamil has experienced anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. On 10 October 2019, as part of World Mental Health Day, Jamil said she survived a suicide attempt six years earlier. In a 2020 episode of the talkshow '' Red Table Talk'', she said she had also attempted suicide eight years earlier due to a nervous breakdown. She said that she partook in EMDR therapy to treat her
post traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
before moving to Los Angeles. In May 2024, Jamil said that her battle with an
eating disorder An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's health, physical or mental health, mental health. These behaviors may include eating too much food or too little food. Types of eatin ...
has "destroyed" her bone density and damaged "my kidney, my liver, my digestive system, my heart".


Filmography


Film


Television


Radio


References


Further reading

* * *
Jameela explains how she got her first DJ gig, Elton John's birthday party, on Conan
Conan. 5 December 2019.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jamil, Jameela 1986 births Living people Actors from the London Borough of Camden Actresses from London BBC Radio 1 presenters British queer actresses English women radio presenters English expatriate actresses in the United States English female models English feminists English game show hosts English people of Pakistani descent English television actresses English television presenters English voice actresses Models from the London Borough of Camden People from Hampstead People with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome Shorty Award winners 21st-century English actresses People with obsessive–compulsive disorder People with post-traumatic stress disorder