New York’s Kadeem Hardison, California’s Charles Wright turn 59

Kadeem Hardison is an actor from Brooklyn, New York, United States. Charles A. Wright was a middle school teacher from Hawthorne, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

On July 24, 2024, both Hardison and Wright turned 59. It was the last 59th birthday of the latter.

Kadeem Hardison

Hardison was born in  Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to Donald McFadden and Bethann Hardison. McFadden is an antique and fine art collector and Bethann is a runway model advocating for diversity in the fashion industry.

Bethann was also born in Brooklyn. She attended George W. Wingate High School in Brooklyn and the New York University Art School and the Fashion Institute of Technology, which are both in Manhattan, New York City.

Kadeem studied theater at the Eubie Blake Youth Theatre in Manhattan. One of his instructors was “The Cosby Show” star Earle Hyman, who died on November 17, 2017 at age 91.

In 2019, Kadeem played Spencer in “Black Monday”. He played Bowser Jenkins in “Teenager Bounty Hunters” in 2020, Detective Kinder in “The Lincoln Lawyer” and Arlo in “Moonhaven” in 2022, Carnegie in “Grown-sh” from 2022 to 2024 and Professor Gardner in “The Chi” from 2023 to 2024.

Charles Wright

Wright was accused of killing Pertina Jynita Epps, 21, in Gardena, Los Angeles County on April 26, 2005 and sexually assaulting a woman, then 18, on September 17, 2006. Both victims were described by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant Hugo Reynaga in August 2022 as known prostitutes.

Wright was employed by the Inglewood Unified School District in Inglewood, Los Angeles County when he was arrested on January 27, 2022 for Epps’ murder. That day, he posted $1 million bail and was released.

On February 1, 2022, Wright was arrested for the 2006 crime. In April 2024, he was housed on a medical ward because of a medical condition he had before his arrests.

On July 10, 2024, a jury convicted Wright of first-degree murder, kidnapping for oral copulation and forced oral copulation. He was supposed to be sentenced on September 10, 2024 but he died in jail on August 13, 2024.