Director, writer, and producer John Singleton, who directed and wrote 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, was hospitalized due to a stroke this week, TMZ reported. John was returning from Costa Rica, and John’s family members told the site that he was experiencing “weakness” in his leg. Source revealed that John is receiving tests and rehab for his condition, and that the stroke was “mild.” If you don’t know much about the Hollywood creator, read on for five facts about him.
1. He’s from Los Angeles. John was born on Jan. 6, 1968, in Los Angeles, California. He is currently 51 years old. He studied at the University of Southern California, also in Los Angeles, and graduated in 1990.
2. John has 19 directing credits on IMDb. The force in the entertainment world had his directing debut in 1991 with Boyz n the Hood, which starred Angela Bassett, 60, Ice Cube, 49, Laurence Fishburne, 57, and Cuba Gooding Jr., 51. He followed up on his directing work one year later with Michael Jackson’s music video, Remember the Time in 1992. John directed the 2003 film 2 Fast 2 Furious, which starred Paul Walker (who died at age 40 in 2013), Tyrese Gibson, 40, Eva Mendes, 45, and Ludacris, 41. John also directed for Empire in 2015, American Crime Story in 2016, which meant he returned working with Cuba again, and Billions in 2017. John produced the 2005 acclaimed film Hustle & Flow. John attempted to direct the 2017 Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, but it was directed by Benny Boom instead. His latest directing work was on Snowfall, a television series that he directed on from 2017 to 2018.
3. With a 28-year career in Hollywood, he has made some famous friends. Rapper Snoop Dogg, 47, posted on his instagram following the news that his friend was hospitalized. Snoop said, “Pray 4 my brother 🙏🏽👊🏿✨💙. @johnsingleton.”
4. He has been critically acclaimed for his work. John was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for his first project, Boyz n the Hood.
5. John was married to Akosua Gyamama Busia, 52, a Ghanaian actress. The two wed in Oct. 1996 and divorced one year later. They have a daughter, Hadar Singleton, 22, together. John has three other children, including two from his previous marriage with Tosha Lewis – Justice Maya Singleton, 26, and Maasai Mohandas Singleton, 25. His other child, Cleopatra Singleton, is around 21 years old.
We hope John has a speedy recovery, and our thoughts are with his family and friends as his receives the care he needs.