HOUSTON, Texas — Jamar Champ, the estranged husband of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood alum Masika Kalysha, has died after a fatal wrong-way collision early Tuesday morning on Houston’s Katy Freeway. He was 38.
According to a statement from the Houston Police Department, the crash occurred shortly after midnight on October 28, when a silver BMW traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of the 6600 block of Katy Freeway (I-10) struck a silver Tesla Cybertruck head-on. The BMW caught fire upon impact, while the Tesla collided with a nearby Freightliner 18-wheeler.
Champ, who was driving the Cybertruck, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition but was later pronounced dead. The driver of the BMW also died at the scene. Police confirmed the truck driver was unharmed.
Authorities say an autopsy will determine whether alcohol or drug impairment contributed to the deadly crash. Investigators from HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Division are leading the inquiry.
Champ’s identity was confirmed by friends and family, and local station KHOU first reported the news. Before his death, Champ had been known both for his brief football career—he played one season at North Dakota State University in 2005—and his relationship with Kalysha, a prominent television personality, entrepreneur, and social media figure.
Kalysha, 39, expressed her grief in an emotional post to X (formerly Twitter) early Tuesday morning, writing:
“God woke me up at 2:00 a.m.… I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t know why. Jesus Christ, I just received the worst news of my life. Pray for me and my kids please.”
In an Instagram video later that day, Kalysha asked the public and media outlets to refrain from posting details about Champ’s death until she could speak with her children directly. “I don’t want my kids to find out at school before I can tell them,” she said.
The pair married in 2021 and share a three-year-old daughter, Amari. Kalysha had previously revealed during an Instagram Live session in late 2023 that the two had been separated. In a 2024 interview, she mentioned they were in mediation amid divorce proceedings.
Community members and fans have since flooded social media with condolences, describing Champ as “a kind soul with a competitive spirit” and “a father who loved deeply.”
As investigations continue, Champ’s death serves as a somber reminder of the devastating impact of wrong-way driving—an ongoing issue on Texas highways that has claimed dozens of lives this year alone, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
