Trevor Noah's mom and dad: Meet Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah and Robert
Trevor Noah is a South African comic. Until 2022, the stand-up comedian was a globally acclaimed television host on Comedy Central’s Daily Show. In addition to the show, he is best known for his book, Born a Crime and TV Special, Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia, in which he speaks extensively about his complicated parentage during Apartheid. Learn more about Trevor Noah's mom and dad in this piece.
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Who are Trevor Noah's parents? In addition to his book, Trevor Noah has regaled his audiences through stand-up comedy and the television show with stories of his parents' struggles to raise him. The hilarity of his mother's ingenious methods of raising him and his father's background has raised curiosities about their personal lives.
Profile summary
| Full name | Trevor Noah |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 20 February 1984 |
| Age | 40 years old as of July 2024 |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Place of birth | Johannesburg, Gauteng (formerly Transvaal), South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Current residence | West Village, New York, United States of America |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height in centimetres | 181 |
| Height in feet | 5'11" |
| Weight in kilograms | 170 |
| Weight in pounds | 77 |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Mother | Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah |
| Father | Robert |
| Siblings | 2 |
| Marital status | Dating |
| Spouse | Zoë Leila Mabie |
| High school | Maryvale College |
| College | University of Johannesburg |
| Profession | Comedian, writer |
| Net worth | $100 million |
| Social media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube |
Trevor Noah's mom and dad
Trevor was born to a Swiss-German father and a Xhosa mother during the Apartheid period in South Africa. Cultural and racial differences between his mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah and Robert, his father, brought on many challenges that Trevor has openly spoken about.
The stand-up comedian was born on 20 February 1984 in Johannesburg, Gauteng (formerly Transvaal), South Africa. He is 40 years old as of July 2024. His zodiac sign is Pisces.
Patricia Nombuyiselo Noa
Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah was born on 24 September 1964 in South Africa. She is 60 years old as of July 2024, and her zodiac sign is Virgo.
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She grew up in Soweto with her mother and later in Transkei with her paternal aunt. Growing up during the Apartheid era transformed her into a defiant and compelling figure whose influence shaped Trevor Noah's career as one of South Africa's funniest comedians.
In Transkei, she attended a missionary school where she learnt English. At 21, she began training as a secretary, a profession that was not allowed for black people during the Apartheid era.
While at Transkei, she worked at a local factory where she was paid in meals. In the 1980s, racial restrictions on clerical work were reduced, allowing her to get work at a pharmaceutical company in a suburb of Johannesburg.
At 22, Patricia moved from Soweto to escape what she described as a black tax. She moved to Johannesburg, a city she was forbidden from living in as a black person. Before finding an apartment, Patricia would sleep in public restrooms.
Her defiant spirit and an uncommon friendship with Xhosa prostitutes in Johannesburg allowed her to get an apartment in Hillbrow, a liberal area, under a white man's name. At the time, some white men were willing to rent apartments for black women at a price. Shortform notes that she wore a maid's uniform and carried an ID to conceal herself and avoid suspicion.
Robert
Trevor Noah's dad, Robert, is a Swiss-German national who lived across from his mother's apartment in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. When he met Patricia Noah, he was 22 years older than her, making him about 82 years old at the time of this writing.
Robert was a restauranteur who initially worked as a chef in chef in Montreal and New York before moving to South Africa. While in South Africa, he acquired a special license, allowing him to open and operate the first racially integrated steakhouse in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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How did Patricia Nombuyiselo and Robert meet?
Trevor Noah's parents met in an apartment building in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, where they lived. Despite their racial and age differences, the two formed an unlikely friendship that led to the comedian's birth.
What relationship did Patricia Nombuyiselo and Robert share?
Trevor Noah's mom and dad did not get married. However, as their friendship grew, she began to propose to him to have a child with her. In his book Born a Crime, the television show host revealed that his mother's decision to have a child with Robert was an act of resistance against the regime's Apartheid rule and the need to be married to have a child.
During apartheid, interracial relationships were strictly forbidden, and therefore having children in such relationships was a crime. Before long, Robert conceded to Patricia's wishes. In his autobiography, Trevor notes that his father's name is not listed on his birth certificate, and his father's country of origin reads another country, a response Patricia gave to explain his complexion.
In an effort to shed light on the complicatedness of his upbringing, Trevor spoke to NPR, saying;
My father would not hold my hand or anything because he could not be seen to be the father of a mixed-race child. You know, I am running down the street, and he is running away because he does not want us to get into trouble. And I think I am playing a game.
To further conceal her crime, Patricia raised Trevor as a coloured child, the product of coloured parents. She enrolled him in a coloured daycare and recruited a coloured woman who lived in her building to pretend to be his mother on occasion, while Trevor Noah's mother pretended to be his caretaker or maid. In an interview with Oprah, the former Daily Show host acknowledged his admiration for his mother's tenacious spirit, saying;
My mother stood up at a time when many people were afraid to stand up when a country was being punished for standing up. She said, 'No, as a woman and as a black person, I will live the way I believe I am allowed to live, whether you tell me I can or not.' And she did that. Because of that, she is the example I live my life by.
Are Patricia Nombuyiselo and Robert together?
Robert and Patricia Nombuyiselo did not get married. Although neither of them was interested in a marriage, they fell into an arrangement that allowed both to play their parenting roles. In 1992, Patricia married Abel Shingange Ngisaveni, the father of Trevor Noah's brothers, Isaac and Andrew.
What happened to Patricia Noah?
Trevor Noah's mom's first marriage to Abel was fraught with domestic violence. After years of abuse and separation, a traumatic incident that the comedian and professional author would later describe as the scariest day of his life changed the lives of the family.
Abel allegedly shot Patricia twice, in the head and buttock, leaving her for dead. The deeply religious matriarch attributes her recovery from the life-threatening gunshot wounds to God.
FAQs
- Who are Trevor Noah's parents? Trevor was born to Robert, a Swiss-German father, and Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, a Xhosa mother, during the Apartheid period in South Africa.
- What happened to Trevor Noah's parents? By law, the mixed-race relationship between Trevor Noah's father and mother was considered illegal. The challenges they faced prepared him for a career as one of the most influential comedians.
Who is Abel Shingange? Alex is Trevor Noah's stepfather.
- Who are Trevor Noah's siblings? He has two brothers, Isaac and Andrew Shingange.
- Who is Trevor Noah dating? He is in a relationship with social media personality and business expert Zoë Leila Mabie.
- How tall is Trevor Noah? He stands 5 feet and 4 inches (167 centimetres) tall.
Trevor Noah's mom, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, played a vital role in her son's success. Her unique ability to use humour and her religious belief to overcome the struggles of poverty, racial segregation and domestic violence have shaped Trevor's career as a political commentator, author and comedian. She has two more sons, Isaac and Andrew Shingange.
Legit.ng recently published Cynthia Ogunsemilore's biography. Cynthia is a Nigerian professional boxer whose tough background has inspired her career choice.
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Source: Legit.ng
