Former Disney star Skai Jackson is pregnant and expecting first child (Exclusive)

Skai Jackson is going to be a mom!

The former Disney star, 22, is expecting her first child with her boyfriend (who Jackson has not publicly identified), PEOPLE confirms exclusively.

“I’m excited to begin this new chapter in my life – embracing motherhood and diving into new acting projects. My heart is so full!” Jackson tells PEOPLE.

Jackson has the next leading role in the feature film The man in the white van. She recently attended Comic-Con to support the film, which hits theaters on December 13.

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As she prepares to become a mother herself, Jackson is also close to her mother, Kiya Cole, who raised the actress as a single mother.

“(My mom) always taught me to stand up for myself, stand up for what I believe in and fight for what’s right,” she told PEOPLE in February 2023. “I thank her for that because without her I would I probably don’t. I have a lot of the confidence that I have now.”

The former child star, who admitted being a role model, comes with “a lot of pressure,” adding: “At the end of the day, I see myself as the regular person that people happen to like or enjoy.”

Still, she said, “It’s very important to me to send the right message, be positive at all times and give my fans good advice. Let them know that anything they want to do in life, they can achieve it.”

Jackson, who is best known for playing Zuri Ross on Jessie and its spinoff Bunk’d, published his book, Reach for the Skai: How to inspire, empower and clap back in 2019 and appeared on Dancing with the stars in 2020.