This Is Us will introduce another new character to its already supersized cast, possibly as soon as this season, and it will cause some complications for fan-favorite Pearson family member, Deja (Lyric Ross).
Dan Fogelman, the creator of the hit NBC drama, has revealed that he is planning to introduce the mother of Malik’s (Asante Blackk) baby Janelle to viewers, according to TV Line . Malik is the 14-year-old single father that Randall’s (Sterling K. Brown) daughter Deja is dating. The This Is U s showrunner said Deja’s point of view will be the focal point when Malik’s baby mama makes her debut.
“This young girl is not just Malik’s ex-girlfriend. She’s an ex-girlfriend who is the mother of his child — a child he spends all of his time and energy on. So it makes it complicated for her,” Fogelman said of Deja.
Fans of the Emmy-nominated series know that Janelle’s mom was Malik’s first and only girlfriend. She signed over full parental rights of baby Janelle to Malik, but little else has been revealed about the mystery teen mom. The actress who will play the mother of Malik’s child has not yet been revealed.
This Is Us fans recently witnessed the early love story of Deja and Malik on the episode “The Dinner and the Date.” A post on the This Is Us Instagram page compared the teen romance to the early romance of Jack and Rebecca Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore).
In the comments section of the post, fans had some definite opinions on the storyline about the teen lovebirds.
“As a parent, it doesn’t matter how cute of a couple they may be, or what a nice young man he is…it’s just way too heavy for someone her age to get involved in. Hard no,” one fan wrote.
“See what I feel is Malik is a player he can see that Deja is completely vulnerable to a boy’s attention and flattery if he really respected her he’d wait til after school to show her around,” another fan wrote.
While some viewers wrote that they hope Deja and Malik’s relationship works out, others expressed concern over the complicated scenario.
“Do you people realize at 14 you don’t even have a driver’s permit or can’t get into some R-rated movies or stay on the street past 10!! Someone be a grown-up here!!” a viewer wrote.
When the character of Malik’s baby’s mother is introduced, it will be another addition to a cast that exploded just ahead of Season 4. Several new characters, including Malik and his parents Darnell and Kelly (Omar Epps, Marsha Stephanie Blake) made their debut on the This Is U s Season 4 premiere in September.
