Reality TV star, influencer and showbiz specialist Zaina Sesay sat down with Dexerto to share what it was like appearing on brutal shows like Netflix’s ‘The Ultimatum’ as part of our Rising Stars interview series.
Zaina Sesay is one of many influencers branching out from social media to break into the mainstream, but she has more experience than most when it comes to the entertainment industry.
Sesay, who boasts over 137K followers on Instagram, offers a slew of lifestyle, fitness and beauty content for her fans, who got to see her star in Season 3 of Netflix’s The Ultimatum in late 2024.
Prior to her status as a content creator, Sesay worked at Paramount, where she contributed to shows on MTV and VH1 like Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, Basketball Wives, Girl’s Cruise, Love & Listings and Teyana & Iman.
We got the chance to sit down with Sesay and delve into her unique background as both a rising influencer and a professional with years of experience crafting major television shows.
Zaina Sesay is a reality TV star and content creator best known for her appearance on Netflix’s The Ultimatum.
Falling in love with storytelling
Sesay grew up in Maryland, born to parents from Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. Her mother is of Lebanese descent, which she says gave her a unique outlook on life from an early age due to the mix of cultures in her direct vicinity.
“I was born and raised in a household full of love, culture, and a little bit of chaos — in the best way,” she told us. “I grew up with a mix of influences that shaped my perspective early on.”
Sesay is one of four siblings born exactly four years apart from each other, making her “very much the typical middle child,” essentially forcing her to be “independent, adaptable, and creative” to carve out her own identity.
From a young age, Sesay says she was drawn to storytelling, “constantly writing, shooting, and editing” as a way to express herself — a path that ultimately led her down the content creation rabbit hole.
“Content creation naturally became an outlet for me. Even before social media took off, I was the kid constantly filming, editing, and finding creative ways to document moments. Once platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok really started taking off, I realized they were the perfect place for me to share my voice in an authentic way. Being able to connect with people, make them laugh, or just help them feel seen made me realize this was something I wanted to do for real.”
Sesay loved making things and bringing her ideas to life — a passion that drew her toward the entertainment industry. Once she reached college age, she studied Film and Media Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she continued to make content online.
In fact, her content was so good that she won a nationwide contest for the YouTube Creator Institute during her sophomore year, earning a flight to Los Angeles to participate in a program for fostering rising talent.
“The program was all about helping aspiring creators develop their storytelling and
production skills, and it opened my eyes to the possibilities of digital media,” she said. “I’ve always loved storytelling and how it connects people, so from there, I wanted to dive deeper.”
Determined to make her dream a reality, she got hands-on experience through internships in the entertainment biz, working at MTV in what she calls one of the “most memorable” jobs of her college days.
“I was so determined to make it happen that I commuted three times a week on a
Greyhound bus from Philly,” she admitted.
This experience, alongside work at VH1, helped shape her own content, giving her unique insight into what worked and what didn’t on her own accounts.
“Having full control over my content now lets me lean into authenticity while still delivering something that resonates. I use that background to craft content that’s fresh, creative, and true to who I am,” she explained.
Zaina Sesay spills the tea on her Ultimatum breakup
Zaina has worked both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, having appeared on multiple reality TV shows like Teen Mom and, of course, The Ultimatum. Her time on TV started out completely naturally thanks to her close friendship with bestie Cheyenne Davis, who starred on MTV’s Teen Mom and other shows like Are You The One? and The Challenge’s Rivals III.
“I first started making small appearances on Teen Mom because of my best friend, Cheyenne
Davis,” Sesay said. “We’ve been friends long before she started reality TV, so it’s all organic – I just show up like I normally do in our friendship.”
However, her appearance on The Ultimatum was decidedly different. Sesay says her ex-man, JR Warren, saw an advertisement for the show and decided to apply, leading her to think he was ready for the next step… but, as fans will know, things didn’t turn out that way at all.
“We were approaching our three-year mark, and I felt like our conversations about marriage were stalling,” she said. “When he seemed excited about the experience, I took it as a sign that he was finally prioritizing our relationship — but in the end, I was blindsided by his true intentions.”
Sesay was famously dumped by JR in the show, which tasks couples to ‘Marry or Move on.’ The heartbreaking moment was viewed by millions of fans worldwide — something that “didn’t feel real” to Zaina, owing to their previous discussions about their relationship.
“He claimed his job transition was the main reason for his hesitation and even asked if I’d leave the show without an engagement so we could keep building,” she said. “In the end, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It taught me to stop romanticizing red flags, believe people the first time, and not hold on to the honeymoon phase of a relationship.
“As a relationship evolves, you have to pay attention to how someone is prioritizing you in real time. If their actions don’t match their words, that says everything. It was painful, especially discovering the lies, gaslighting, and deceit a year later while watching the show. Still, I chose to heal holistically — mind, body and soul — which pushed me to grow, let go, and ultimately move on to better things.”
Now, Sesay is busy building her own brand on social media, where she’s managed to carve out a niche for herself amidst the onslaught of lifestyle, fitness and wellness content online due to her authenticity and unabashed discussions about her personal life.
“I think what makes me stand out is my transparency and the way I bring people along for the journey in real time,” she told us. “I’m not just showing the highlights—I share the struggles, the wins, and everything in between. Whether it’s fitness, lifestyle, or self-care, I focus on making it feel personal and relatable, rather than just aspirational.
“I also approach wellness from a holistic-ish perspective—it’s about balance, not perfection. I like to think that people connect with me because I’m not trying to fit into one box; I’m evolving, learning, and figuring it out just like they are.”
As for where she sees herself in the future, Zaina wants to continue to build and grow her online presence, and is even in the middle of securing her certification to become a physical trainer. On top of this, she’s got “a few special projects” in the pipeline that she can’t wait to show her fans as she continues to strive to be “intentional about sharing more” of herself beyond the limelight of reality TV.