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Andraya Michele Howard, also known as Draya Michele, rose to fame as a cast member on the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA. She was part of the freshman cast of the show in 2011 and remained on the show until her departure at the end of the fourth season in 2015. Michele's time on Basketball Wives LA was marked by tensions and arguments with the other women on the show, and she has since expressed regret about her participation, citing the detrimental impact it had on the perception of African-American women on television. Despite the challenges, Michele was able to use the platform to launch her successful swimsuit line, Mint Swim, and pursue her acting career.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Draya Michele |
| Occupation | Social media personality, actress, model, businesswoman |
| Date of Birth | 23 January 1985 |
| Place of Birth | Reading, Pennsylvania |
| Relationship Status | Girlfriend of Jalen Green; previously linked with Chris Brown, Gilbert Arenas, Tyrod Taylor, and Orlando Scandrick |
| Children | Three children, including one with Jalen Green and one with Orlando Scandrick |
| Business Ventures | Fashion lines: Mint Swim, Fine Ass Girls, Beige & Coco |
| Television | Cast member of Basketball Wives LA for its first four seasons; appeared on other reality shows |
| Mental Health | Open about the toll of reality TV on her mental health; sought therapy after Basketball Wives |
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What You'll Learn
Draya Michele's mental health
Draya Michele, an American social media personality and actress, first came to the public eye as the girlfriend of entertainer Chris Brown. She was part of the original cast of the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA in 2011.
Michele has spoken about the toll that being on the show took on her mental health. In an interview, she said, "It’s not even allowed to be played anywhere that I’m at. The sound of it is traumatic for me. I had to go to therapy for that. Really grateful for the experience and I learned a lot and I’m so, so, so eternally thankful for the platform that it’s given me, but just like the way that I felt every day showing up to do that was so dark and so scary for me every day", She left the show at the end of season four in 2015, citing her reasons as the detrimental impact on the perception of African-American women on television and the encouragement of violent reality television spats.
Since her departure, Michele has focused on her acting career and her successful fashion lines, including her swimsuit line Mint Swim, which has become a million-dollar empire. She has also been spending time with the Kardashian-Jenners and pursuing her hobby of gardening.
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Tensions with other cast members
Andraya Michele Howard, also known as Draya Michele, joined the freshman cast of the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA in 2011. She remained a part of the cast until her departure at the end of the show's fourth season in 2015.
Michele's time on Basketball Wives LA was marked by tensions with her castmates. The other women on the show accused her of being self-centred, running away from problems, and distancing herself. In particular, Michele had "beef" with castmate Brandi Maxiell, and a comment she made about Maxiell's cancer battle may have been the final straw for the group.
In an interview with Justin Sylvester's Just the Sip, Michele admitted that she regretted participating in the show. She felt that her time on Basketball Wives LA was filled with silly fights and arguments that contributed to a negative perception of African-American women on television.
Michele also spoke about the toll the show took on her mental health. She told The Shaderoom's Thembi Mawema that the experience was "dark and scary" and that she had to go to therapy after her time on the show. Despite being a fan favourite, Michele was a target for the other girls, who criticised her parenting and the men she was linked to.
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Her relationships with athletes
Draya Michele's relationships with athletes have been well-documented, with the model and actress having been linked to several notable names in sports and entertainment.
Michele's early relationships included NBA player Gilbert Arenas in 2008. Their connection was relatively unknown until 2016 when rumours surfaced that Arenas was the father of Michele's son. Michele denied these claims on Instagram, stating that her son's father was a barber living in Pennsylvania. Another early relationship was with entertainer Chris Brown, which lasted nine months. Michele also briefly dated Wiz Khalifa in 2011, sparking rumours of infidelity on Khalifa's part.
Michele was also in a relationship with former NBA player DeShawn Stevenson during her rise to fame. Their time together attracted attention, especially when Michele posted throwback pictures of them on Facebook, captioning them as "just friends." One of Michele's more high-profile relationships was with NFL star Orlando Scandrick, with whom she has a child. Their engagement, however, ended, and Michele moved on to date NBA player Jalen Green, who is 18 years her junior. The couple welcomed a daughter in May 2024 and received criticism for their age difference.
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Her clothing lines
Andraya Michele Howard, better known as Draya Michele, is an American social media personality and actress. She first came to the public eye as the girlfriend of entertainer Chris Brown. However, she gained wider recognition as a cast member on the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA, joining the show in 2011 as part of the freshman cast.
Draya's time on Basketball Wives LA was not without controversy, and she became a target for the other girls on the show, who criticised her parenting and the men she was linked to. Despite this, she remained on the show for its first four seasons until her departure at the end of the fourth season in 2015.
During and after her time on Basketball Wives LA, Draya launched several successful clothing lines. Her first clothing line, Mint Swim, a swimwear line, was launched in 2011 and has since become a million-dollar empire. Two years later, in 2013, she launched her second clothing line, Fine Ass Girls, a lifestyle clothing brand. In November 2016, she launched her third clothing line, Beige & Coco.
Draya's clothing lines have been a successful venture for her, and she has been able to use her platform from Basketball Wives LA to promote and grow her fashion business. She has also pursued acting, with her first scripted acting debut in 2011, the same year she joined the cast of Basketball Wives LA.
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Her departure from the show
Andraya Michele Howard, known as Draya Michele, joined the cast of the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA in 2011. She was part of the original cast and remained on the show until 2015, appearing in the first four seasons.
Michele's time on the show took a toll on her mental health. In an interview with The Shaderoom's Thembi Mawema, she said: "It’s not even allowed to be played anywhere that I’m at. The sound of it is traumatic for me. I had to go to therapy for that. Really grateful for the experience and I learned a lot and I’m so, so, so eternally thankful for the platform that it’s given me, but just like the way that I felt every day showing up to do that was so dark and so scary for me every day".
Michele has also expressed regret about her time on the show, reflecting that her seasons were filled with silly fights and arguments that contributed to a detrimental portrayal of African-American women on television. She also believes that shows like Basketball Wives set a precedent for the violent reality television spats that have become commonplace.
Since leaving Basketball Wives, Michele has expanded her family, continued to grow her swimsuit line, Mint Swim, and spent time with the Kardashian-Jenners. She has also launched two more clothing lines, Fine Ass Girls and Beige & Coco, and has pursued her acting career, including a supporting role in the 2016 film The Perfect Match.
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Frequently asked questions
Draya Michele is an American social media personality and actress. She first came to the attention of the public as the girlfriend of entertainer Chris Brown. She was part of the freshman cast of the VH1 series Basketball Wives LA in 2011.
Draya Michele has had several relationships with athletes, including former Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas, leading to her appearance on the show.
After leaving Basketball Wives LA, Draya Michele pursued her acting career and created a thriving swimsuit line called Mint Swim. She also launched another clothing line, Beige & Coco, in November 2016.
Yes, Draya Michele attended a Basketball Wives LA reunion of sorts at Angel Brinks' Five-Year Fashion Celebration, where several cast members were seen on the red carpet together.
Draya Michele has expressed that her time on Basketball Wives LA took a toll on her mental health and that she regrets participating in the show. She feels that the show contributed to negative stereotypes of African-American women and featured violent reality television spats.
