Imani Guy Duckette, widely known as Imani Duckett, is an actress and multidisciplinary artist and the only daughter of actress Jasmine Guy. She is currently gaining attention for her role as Teedra in Netflix’s A Different World, the sequel series to the original sitcom in which her mother played Whitley Gilbert.
Imani was born on March 28, 1999, to Jasmine Guy and Terrence Mitchell Duckett. She later studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, developed a career across acting, writing and visual art, and collaborated with her mother on the upcoming memoir A Different Girl.
Who Is Imani Duckett?
Imani Guy Duckette is an actress and multidisciplinary artist best known as Jasmine Guy’s daughter and, in 2026, for playing Teedra in Netflix’s A Different World.
Imani is Jasmine Guy’s only child. Her mother became widely known for playing Whitley Gilbert on the original A Different World, which ran from 1987 to 1993. Imani is now appearing alongside her mother in Netflix’s sequel series, creating a direct connection between the original sitcom and its new generation.
Her professional work extends beyond acting. Imani studied drama at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and has developed projects in visual art and writing. Simon & Schuster describes her as a multidisciplinary artist working through mixed-media visual art, writing and acting.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Imani Guy Duckette |
| Common name | Imani Duckett |
| Born | March 28, 1999 |
| Age in 2026 | 27 |
| Mother | Jasmine Guy |
| Father | Terrence Mitchell Duckett |
| Education | New York University, Tisch School of the Arts |
| Profession | Actress and multidisciplinary artist |
| Stage debut | Serial Black Face |
| Screen credit | Open |
| Art project | Paper Cuts |
| Netflix series | A Different World |
| Netflix character | Teedra |
Who Are Imani Duckett’s Parents and Family?
Imani Duckett is the daughter of actress Jasmine Guy and Terrence Mitchell Duckett.
Jasmine Guy and Terrence Mitchell Duckett welcomed Imani in March 1999. The couple later divorced in 2008, when Imani was still a child.
Imani Duckett and Jasmine Guy
Jasmine Guy is Imani’s mother and one of the central figures in her professional story.
Guy played Whitley Gilbert on the original A Different World and returned to the character for Netflix’s 2026 sequel. Imani’s own career has developed independently across acting, writing and visual art, but the two have also collaborated professionally.
Their collaboration now extends to both television and publishing. Imani appears alongside her mother in A Different World and helped Guy write the memoir A Different Girl.
Imani Duckett’s Father and Parents’ Divorce
Imani’s father is Terrence Mitchell Duckett. He was married to Jasmine Guy before their divorce in 2008.
The available reporting focuses primarily on Imani’s relationship with her mother and her own artistic career. There is limited recent public information about her relationship with her father, so details about their private family life should not be assumed.
How Did Imani Duckett Begin Her Acting and Art Career?
Imani Duckett began acting as a teenager and later expanded her work into visual art and writing.
Her first documented stage credit came in 2016, when she appeared as LaToya in Actor’s Express’ production of Serial Black Face in Atlanta. The play, written by Janine Nabers and directed by Freddie Ashley, was set against the backdrop of the Atlanta Child Murders. Actor’s Express lists Imani Guy Duckette among the production’s cast.
Education and Early Acting
Imani graduated from high school in 2017 and went on to attend New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied drama.
Her education expanded her work beyond traditional acting. During her senior year, she created Paper Cuts, a two-minute animated poem that later developed into a visual-art exhibition.
Imani also has a screen credit in the 2020 television movie Open, where she played Luna, credited as Imani Duckett.
Imani Duckett’s Visual Art and Paper Cuts
Paper Cuts was Imani Duckett’s senior project at NYU and later became her first solo exhibition in New York.
The project began as an animated poem and developed into a visual-art presentation. Imani exhibited Paper Cuts at All Street Gallery in New York in March 2024. PEOPLE describes the project as an exploration of identity and emotional conflict.
Her work therefore spans several connected creative disciplines:
- Acting
- Writing
- Visual art
- Mixed-media work
Simon & Schuster’s author information similarly identifies Imani as a Tisch School of the Arts graduate whose work combines mixed-media visual art, writing and acting.
What Is Imani Duckett’s Relationship With Jasmine Guy?
Imani Duckett and Jasmine Guy have collaborated on both creative projects and their current television series.
Their most recent collaboration is A Different Girl, a memoir written by Jasmine Guy with help from Imani. The book explores Guy’s life and career, including her childhood in Atlanta, dance career, Broadway work and years in Hollywood. Imani is credited as a co-author and described by the publisher as her mother’s daughter and confidante.
A Different Girl
A Different Girl: A Memoir by Jasmine Guy and Imani Guy Duckette is scheduled for publication on February 9, 2027, through Atria Books.
The book provides another connection between Imani’s artistic work and her mother’s career. Rather than writing a separate biography of Jasmine Guy, Imani helped her mother document her own experiences and perspective.
This collaboration also adds another professional role to Imani’s public profile: co-author.
Who Does Imani Duckett Play in Netflix’s A Different World?
Imani Duckett plays Teedra in Netflix’s 2026 sequel series A Different World.
The series premiered on Netflix on September 24, 2026. It follows Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, as she begins her freshman year at the fictional Hillman College.
Jasmine Guy returns as Whitley Gilbert, while Imani joins the new generation of characters as Teedra. The mother and daughter are therefore appearing in the same series for the first time.
Netflix describes the 2026 series as a continuation centered on a new generation at Hillman College while bringing back several original cast members.
The sequel also includes other connections between the original cast and the new production. PEOPLE reports that children of original cast members, including Imani, were included in the new series.
What Other Movies and TV Shows Has Imani Duckett Appeared In?
Imani Duckett’s documented acting credits include the stage production Serial Black Face, the 2020 television movie Open, and Netflix’s A Different World.
| Year | Production | Imani Duckett’s role or connection |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Serial Black Face | LaToya |
| 2020 | Open | Luna |
| 2026 | A Different World | Teedra |
Her stage debut came with Serial Black Face at Actor’s Express in Atlanta.
In Open, a 2020 television movie directed by Cas Sigers-Beedles, she played Luna, also credited as Imani Duckett.
Her most prominent current screen role is Teedra in Netflix’s A Different World.
Is Imani Duckett Married or Does She Have Children?
There is no reliable public confirmation in the sources reviewed here that Imani Duckett is married or has children.
Searches for Imani Duckett’s husband, marriage and children appear in the available keyword data, but those queries do not establish the underlying facts.
Her publicly documented family relationship is her status as Jasmine Guy’s only daughter. Information about her private relationships should not be inferred from search queries or unverified celebrity websites.
Is Imani Duckett on Instagram or Other Social Media?
Imani Duckett has used social media to share aspects of her artistic work and personal milestones.
Her public presence has included posts about Paper Cuts, her artistic development and collaborations with Jasmine Guy. PEOPLE has also cited posts from Jasmine Guy documenting Imani’s birthday and creative work.
A social-media account should only be attributed to Imani if it can be verified as her official or clearly authenticated account. Name-matching profiles are not sufficient evidence.
What Is Imani Duckett’s Net Worth?
Imani Duckett’s net worth has not been publicly verified.
Her documented professional activities include acting, visual art and writing, but there is no reliable public financial disclosure establishing a specific net-worth figure.
Celebrity-net-worth estimates published without financial records should therefore be treated as estimates rather than confirmed information.
The Bottom Line
Imani Duckett is an actress and multidisciplinary artist who has built a creative career beyond being known as Jasmine Guy’s daughter.
She began acting as a teenager, studied drama at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, created the visual-art project Paper Cuts, appeared in Open, and helped her mother write the upcoming memoir A Different Girl.
In 2026, Imani reached a new stage of her acting career by joining Netflix’s A Different World as Teedra. Her mother, Jasmine Guy, also returned to the franchise as Whitley Gilbert, bringing their professional relationship directly into the series.
Her current public profile therefore connects several established entities: Jasmine Guy, acting, visual art, writing, NYU, Paper Cuts, A Different Girl and Netflix’s A Different World.
