Skip to content

Yvette Turnage

Yvette Turnage was a Black American mother from Prince George’s County, Maryland. She was the daughter of Ivy and the mother of Malik, Brianna, Aaliyah, and Trinity. She survived sexual assault and coercion during adolescence.

Early Life and Background

Yvette was born in spring 1986 in Prince George’s County. At thirteen, she was assaulted by an eighteen-year-old man and became pregnant with Malik. She gave birth to Malik on March 19, 2000, while she was still thirteen. The same man fathered her three younger children across a continuing coercive relationship before Yvette escaped him.

Family and Core Relationships

Main article: Turnage Family Tree

Main article: Turnage Household

Ivy assumed substantial responsibility for caring for Yvette’s children while Yvette was young. Yvette, Ivy, and the four children lived together in a multigenerational household in Prince George’s County.

Yvette and Ivy withheld the circumstances of Malik’s conception from him during childhood.

Characters Supporting Characters Living Characters Black Characters Black American Characters Turnage Family