Niecy Nash is a native of Palmdale, California, who was raised in South Central Los Angeles, according to InStyle. By the age of five, she knew that a life in the limelight was her destiny, telling NPR that she was inspired while watching television with her grandmother. After seeing Lola Falana on screen, she recalled,  "I was like, oh, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be Black, fabulous, and on TV."

At 15, Nash witnessed the unthinkable — her mother being shot by an abusive boyfriend with a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun. "Easter Sunday morning, shot her down like a dog in the street," she recalled at a 2010 fundraiser for victims of domestic violence in Southern California, per WABC-TV. Her mom, Margaret Ensley, survived the incident, but about seven years later, tragedy struck the family a second time.

Per NPR, Nash's younger brother Michael Ensley was shot and killed on his high school campus, after being caught up in a love triangle. At that point, Margaret went into a bad bout of depression. "My mother said, 'I give up," the actor told People in 2010, but her daughter wasn't about to let that happen. Instead, Nash would sit at her mother's bed every day and crack jokes to lift her spirit. She explained, "That's when I realized comedy was a gift."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

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