Wilmington tattooist leaves TV's 'Ink Master' due to medical issue

At the start of the 11th season of reality TV competition show "Ink Master," Wilmington tattoo artist Oba Jackson had a pair of possible outcomes in his mind: win and take home the $100,000 prize or get voted off.

Neither happened.

Instead, the owner of PUSH Tattoo in downtown's LOMA district left the show last week on doctor's orders after his blood pressure skyrocketed and he was told it was best to leave the stressful, competitive environment.

The surprising twist was revealed when Jackson asked his team coach Christian Buckingham to call a meeting. That was when he revealed his decision to walk away.

"I've always had really bad blood pressure. I guess the pressure of the competition has been making my heart work extra hard and my medicine hasn't been controlling it," he told them.

"So my doctor is making me leave because at any point he believes I can have a heart attack," he added. "I really wanted to be here. This sucks. And I want you to kick the other team's ass."

Jackson, 35, found himself on "Ink Master" after receiving a cold call from a casting agent in February, making him one of 22 contestants on the show, co-hosted by musician Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers).

Jackson, who uses his middle name professionally, going by the name Oba Moori, lasted four episodes on "Ink Master" before his medical issues caught up with him.

"I fought really hard in this competition and just wish I could push through, but my health comes first," the Christiana High School graduate later told cameras. "As much as I love my team, I have to do what's best for me and going home is it."

Jackson told The News Journal that he had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes prior to filming and the work stress from the show combined with the group living environment kept him from sleeping regularly.

After 31 days of filming, fellow contestant Amanda Boone, also an EMT, noticed Jackson wasn't doing well. They tested his blood pressure and the result was a dangerously high systolic blood pressure reading of 209.

His doctor upped the dosage of the medicine he was already taking and he saw a doctor in New Jersey where the show is filmed. 

"He told me you either leave the show or have a heart attack or a stroke," he says. "So I said I'm leaving then because I really enjoy this thing called life a lot more than being on a TV show."

Jackson lives in Newark with his husband, Brandon Wilson, a hair stylist at blo in Greenville. That's where he has raised his 21-year-old niece ever since his sister's 2015 death from a brain tumor.

During his final moments on national television, Jackson flashed his trademark sense of humor as he left wearing a purple sequin robe: "This is a really unfortunate sequins of events," he cracked.

Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).