Jaimee Monae Foxworth (born December 17, 1979) is an American actress, model, and singer. She is best known for her role of Judy Winslow, the daughter of Carl and Harriette Winslow on the ABC sitcom Family Matters, during the show's first four seasons.
Career
Foxworth, who began modeling at the age of five, soon appeared in national television advertisements, and ultimately landed the role of Judy Winslow, the youngest of the Winslow family's three children, on the long-running
situation comedy Family Matters. After the introduction of
Steve Urkel (
Jaleel White), Foxworth's scenes on the show were reduced significantly. The combination of the character having little to do on the show and budget cuts caused producers to eliminate her from the series after its fourth season. The character disappeared without explanation, with the Winslows acknowledging only two children: Eddie (
Darius McCrary) and Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams).
Jo Marie Payton, who played matriarch Harriette Winslow, was particularly upset with Foxworth's dismissal, stating that producers had decided "nobody would notice" Judy was gone.
With very little acting work coming in the years after Family Matters, Foxworth formed an R&B musical group, S.H.E., with her two sisters (Tyren Perry and Jania Perry). They released their debut album 3's a Charm on July 1, 1997, through Shaquille O'Neal's T.W.IsM./Interscope Records.
Personal life
Foxworth battled
substance abuse and depression. It was rumored that this was prompted in part by a judge's ruling that her
trust law of more than $500,000 be used to save her family from
bankruptcy,
but she denied this in a 2009 interview, stating, "I think that from the
National Enquirer. We never filed for bankruptcy. We were almost to the point where we were just completely flat broke but we never filed for bankruptcy."
In 2009, People magazine reported that Foxworth and longtime boyfriend Michael Shaw had a child.
In Fall 2009, the TV One series Life After chronicled Foxworth's story, dealing with her departure from Family Matters, and her subsequent use of marijuana, which she claimed to have stopped smoking.
Filmography
Notable TV guest appearances
-
Celebrity Rehab
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The Tyra Banks Show October 6, 2006
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The Oprah Winfrey Show January 29, 2006
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20/20 April 29, 2005
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TV 101 playing Whitney Hines in episode: "Home" (episode #1.4) December 20, 1988
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Amen playing Choir in episode: "Your Christmas Show of Shows" (episode #1.11) December 20, 1986
External links
