DeVaughn Nixon was born in Los Angeles in 1983, where he also lived his childhood. He is son of former basketball player Norm Nixon. His stepmother is actress/producer/director/dancer Debbie Allen and half siblings include Dancer Vivian Nichole Nixon, and basketball player Norman Ellard Nixon Jr. His parents taught him to appreciate education, hard work and independence (his mother "was very independent"). When he was a child he worked in several roles in acting, putting voice to one of the characters of the animated film Bébé's Kids. Later, he had a role in the romantic film The Bodyguard, along with other roles in other films and TV series. However, he temporarily left his film career to devote himself to his studies. He graduated in television production and Business Finance from Loyola Marymount University. He also worked with his father as a mortgage broker. However, he missed acting, so he decided to return to his work in the cinema, participating first in the film Monster Heroes. In 2011 he starred in the film Prom.