Draya Michele became a household name for her appearance on the popular television show Basketball Wives: LA but unlike most reality TV stars whose fame only last as long as the show is on, Michele has grown her career to retain relevance. She is an American actress with hands in many pies and has courted controversies, one of which led to her arrest. In addition to acting, Michele is a media personality, model, and fashion designer.
During her early days as a budding model, Michele received a lot of negative comments from prospective employers who didn’t think she looked good enough. Nonetheless, she kept trying and gradually became popular through appearances in music videos. The multitalented star leveraged her fame to build a brand of her own and now owns three clothing lines – Mint Swim, Fine Ass Girls, and Beige & Cocoa.
Who Is Draya Michele?
Among other talents she may have up her sleeves, Draya Michele is an actress, media personality, model, and fashion designer known for her appearance on the freshman cast list of the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA in 2011. An American by nationality, Michele was born on January 23, 1985, in Reading, Pennsylvania, which is where she grew up. Her unique physical attributes may have something to do with the fact that she has a blend of African-American and Italian ancestry.
She may look like she has it all right now but Michele actually had a rough start in her career. Inspired by Victoria Beckham, she went after her dream of becoming a model and fashion designer but was met with cold shoulders from different magazines. Some of the places she sent her pictures to either said she looked like a bird because of her long neck or was too skinny. However, with persistence and hard work, she began getting small jobs until she found fame.
Draya Michele caught media attention when she started a relationship with Chris Brown. She joined the cast of the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA in 2011 and debuted as an actress the same year in Will to Love. Michele left Basketball Wives LA after the show’s fourth season in 2015 and went on to play a supporting role in The Perfect Match (2016). She is currently focusing on running her clothing lines – Mint Swim, Fine Ass Girls, and Beige & Cocoa.
Draya Michele Was Arrested For Child Endangerment
The Basketball Wives LA alum has two sons from different relationships. Her first child Kniko Howard was born when the actress was just 17 years old while her second child, Jru Scandrick was born in 2016. While the father of her first child is not in the spotlight, Draya Michele had her second son with Orlando Scandrick, her former fiancée who played American football for the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Due to the personality, she portrays on Basketball Wives LA, there were speculations about her parenting skills. As such, she came under fire on social media when she was dragged for neglecting her 7-year-old son (Kniko) many years ago. The boy was reportedly taken away from her at the time but she later regained custody of him. Her comments after the birth of her second son also raised eyebrows when she quipped that the reason she didn’t share his picture with the public is because the baby is ugly. However, Draya Michele later dismissed the comment as a joke.