Dee Jay Daniels Went From Starring on a Sitcom to Being Charged With Murder — Where Is He Now?
Dee Jay Daniels was accused of fatally stabbing a man in August 2011.
Published March 31 2025, 4:50 p.m. ET
The 1990s into the mid-2000s were an incredible time for Black sitcoms. Although The Cosby Show ended in 1992, shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, and Living Single were just beginning. In fact, it's pretty obvious that Friends was inspired by Living Single, which was about four Black women and two Black men who all lived in the same apartment complex within a Brooklyn brownstone.
As those shows were nearing their end, more family-oriented programming returned to television. Moesha and Sister Sister were geared towards a younger audience, while The Hughleys was more for the folks. From 1998 to 2002, standup comic D.L. Hughley wrote and starred in the series based on his own childhood. Child actor Dee Jay Daniels was cast as his son. A decade after the show ended, Daniels was accused of murder. Where is he now? Here's what we know.
Where is Dee Jay Daniels now?
In March 2025, Daniels was part of an Investigation Discovery series titled Hollywood Demons. In the series, he looks back on the 2011 stabbing of a 26-year-old man that resulted in a murder charge for the then 22-year-old. Clearly emotional, Daniels reflected on the fact that Hughley came to the trial and testified on his behalf. He felt like Hughley was saying, "Hey, bro, he's like this, and he's like this, and he's like this. He's not that guy you are trying to pin him out to be."
Hughley also took part in the ID series, and when asked about why he testified, the comic said, "I would have come anyway ... but I had been in contact with his parents, and then I talked to his lawyer, but I knew I was going to see my son." He also said it was dehumanizing to see a Black family in that kind of situation.
Nowadays, Daniels releases music under the name Boi Truth and has also added a ton of tattoos to his face. He addressed the facial artwork back in February 2021 while chatting with Vlad TV. Daniels started getting the tattoos at the age of 19 and said this came about when he decided he was done with acting. Unfortunately, acting was also done with him.
What happened to John Joseph Lewis, the man Daniels was accused of killing?
The night before John Joseph Lewis was stabbed to death at Chitiva's Bar and Grill in Stockton, Calif., Daniels saw Hughley after one of his standup shows. The comic told Vlad TV that Daniels showed up and told the comedy club owner that he was his son. "I was so happy to see him," said Hughley.
Although Hughley could never have known what was going to happen the following night, he said something in him felt like Daniels shouldn't leave the club. Sadly, he did. CBS News reported that on Aug. 26, 2011, a fight broke out in the restaurant and spilled out into the parking lot. Daniels was described by police as a known gang member who, along with two other men, allegedly stabbed Lewis.
In December 2012, Daniels and 27-year-old Djuane Nunley were acquitted. Marcus McCliman, 26, a friend of Daniels, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison.