Tabyani Ali is the current actress behind the beloved character Trina Robinson .
The San Antonio native has played Trina on General Hospital since March 2022. She replaced Sydney Mikayla. Trina was first originally portrayed by Tiana Le when she was introduced on the show in 2017. Trina has transformed to become a major character and one half of a popular supercouple.
General Hospital fans loved Trina and Spencer (Nicholas Chavez) together which they have coined as "Sprina" and were devastated when Spencer was presumed dead . Spencer was injected with drugs by ex Esme Prince (Avery Kristan Pohl) and fell off a boat while on a romantic getaway with Trina. While characters don't always stay dead in soaps, Nicholas confirmed his exit from the show on May 3 so a recast may be in order if Spencer returns.
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Tabyani was subjected to racism online
Tabyani, during her time as Trina, has been subjected to vile racist hate on social media - similarly to what many actors of color such as (and not limited to) John Boyega, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Leah Jeffries and Avantika Vandanapu have experienced and continue to experience. She addressed the online hate she has received in a series of tweets on June 9.
"To anyone that hates me. That’s absolutely fine," Tabyani wrote "I don’t know you and you don’t me but regardless I’m sending you peace, safety, and prosperity... I also pray you touch some grass, see the sun, eat a delicious meal, and find something to do. Peace and love."
"Okay this is the last time I’m going to speak on this today but we cannot be feeding in to peoples hate," she continued. "We cannot be giving it back. We cannot stoop to rude/racist people’s level. It doesn’t help. We are fighting too many wars as it is. I believe we will have our world peace.'
"And Im sorry that this is the away you feel like you have to be seen," the 22 year-old continued. "I’m sorry that life isn’t happening how you want. But if you found something you loved to do other than hurting people. You would never have the energy to say what you’ve been saying to people ONLINE!"
Her fellow GH actors came to her defense, and The ABC soap show shared a statement on their social media pages on June 18. The statement read: "General Hospital does not tolerate hatred or bigotry of any kind. Racism has no place in Port Charles. #GH is for everyone."
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Inside Tabyani's second career
Acting is not the only thing Tabyana does, she is also a children's book author. She has published two books so far. Her first children's book is called My Flower Child and it came out in November 2020. In 2022, she re-published for Kindle with a brand-new edition. Tabyana detailed that My Flower Child is about the "bond the bond between a mother and her daughter and the experiences shared together."
Her second book My Super B, which released in July 2023, follows a daring young girl who is a superhero and "achieves achieves all of her wildest dreams, and her supportive mom is right there cheering her on every step of the way," according to the book's official synopsis on Amazon.
Both books involve a theme of a mother and a daughter and the importance of that relationship which seems to echo Tabyana's life. Although, Tabyana has not clarified the inspiration for her books. In a Soap Opera digest podcast interview , she disclosed that her mother, Jacqueline Ford, helped her to reconsider quitting acting. She had talked to her mother about being tired of the "repetitive cycle" and the "barriers", her mother told her she would support her decision but for Tabyana to think about it because she has "a gift" and would regret stopping.
Before she got her start in acting, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams in the entertainment industry at age 11. Aside from General Hospital, she has also been on New Girl, The Big Show Show and Horror Noire. She has an upcoming film called Empire Waist coming out in September 27, 2024.
Tabyana has other things she wants to do behind acting and being a children's book other. She spoke to News 4 San Antonio about wanting to write more books, do script writing. She mentioned how within acting, she would love to do comedies or a sitcom or stand-up which she has done before briefly.
She added that she would want to have her own restaurant as well as a doggy day care since she loves animals and cooking. She elaborated she would also want to have "multiple organizations – to help animals, to help young women." She has supported Saving Our Daughters in the past, an organization cofounded by Keke Palmer and Debbie and Curtis Benjamin. Saving Our Daughters is an organization which aims to empowering and mentors young girls through the arts.
Tabyana, who is originally from San Antonio, Texas, had a day declared in her honor in January 2024. January 13 is now known as "Tabyana Ali Day" or "Love Without Walls Day." She still has family in Texas.
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