What Is Draya Michele Really Famous For Aside From Basketball Wives?
Quick Links
Draya Michele has been in the spotlight for quite some time now. Back In 2011, Michele rose to fame when she appeared in the reality TV show Basketball Wives LA from 2011-2015. From then on, she was able to elevate herself and gain opportunities that benefited her.
Today, Michele is known as a media personality, actress and fashion designer. She also has an increasing fan base with a total of 9.2 Million followers on Instagram. People have heard of Michele, although, many still wonder what exactly is she really famous for?
Draya Michele Made Her Debut On Basketball Wives LA
Before becoming a reality TV star, Michele was a former video girl. According to The Shade Room, with the help of photographers, several editors, and video directors, she was able to land roles in music videos. Michele was included in popular videos by music artists like Jay-Z, The Game, Nicki Minaj, and Kanye West.
Soon after, she began appearing in men's magazines. Her exposure in the media helped her gain a dedicated number of fans.
When she was 26 years old, she joined the show's cast which also starred creator and executive producer Shaunie Oneal (Shaquille O'neal's ex-wife) despite not being a basketball wife. According to Baller Alert, basketball wife alum Gloria Govan initially chose Draya for Basketball Wives.
In an interview, she said, "Draya was chosen on the cast because we met Draya through acting class, and she seemed like a real sweetheart". She continued "not necessarily knowing her background per se, but just knowing she had some involvement".
It seems that at the time the show wanted to not only focus on married women because Govan claims that "we just wanted to give everybody a different dynamic, a 3D version of what we have to deal with as wives and different points of view".
According to Cheat Sheet, when Michele joined the cast, she was quickly shunned due to her past as an exotic dancer and fought off suspicions that she was a bad parent. She was viewed by her co-stars as a "groupie" who pursued famous men, including a previous relationship with the singer, Chris Brown.
While the platform helped with promoting her swimwear line Mint Swim, she regretted her decision to join the show. In an interview with Justin Sylvester's, Just the Sip, Michele admits that she did not enjoy her time on the show. In the four seasons she lasted on the show, she said "it was an experience. I'm glad I went through it; not really trying to go through it again."
Michele says she felt unnatural and "felt unnatural arguing with people". She also claimed that "It still is kind of a thing that still haunts me. There are a lot of closed doors behind that show. I work every day so that those doors that were closed, those opportunities that I want, those nos will become yeses".
Draya Michele Owns A Swimwear Line Called Mint Swim
In 2011, Michele launched her swimsuit line. The brands' website shows that the line has been featured on popular digital media websites such as Essence, People, PopSugar, Refinery29, and Seventeen. She's gained a lot of attention from publications wanting to know the inside scoop on her company.
According to Forbes, creating a swimsuit company was always something she wanted to do. Michele said that "[...] being from Pennsylvania I was a little held back by the resources that I needed. So as soon as I got to California, [...] I began creating the brand.
Refinery 29 interviewed Michele back in 2017 to also chat with her about Mint Swim. This time the backstory of her brand was much more elaborately explained. Michele said "I saved up to 12,000, and I invested it completely into my company". She noted that her brand is for women who "wants to feel sexy and enhance all the right curves while staying fashionable".
She continued explaining that the line started with "four styles of swimsuits and from there, things just grew via social media". The garments however speak for themselves. Many celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Zendaya and Kylie Jenner have sported the line, according to Self.
Draya Michele Has An Acting Career
According to IMDb, Michele has a couple of credits to her name as an actress. She has stared in a movie or TV series every year since 2013. Michele appeared in a 2014 skit at the ESPY Awards: Drake vs Blake with Blake Griffin, Drake and Chris Brown. She appeared in her first movie Will to Love (2015).
Then followed up in films such as; The Perfect Match (2016), Til Death Do Us Part (2017) and We Belong Together (2018). Michele continued her TV work in shows like Star (2018), Tales (2019) and L.A's Finest (2020). Her most recent movie role was in 2022. She starred in Sound of Christmas alongside R&B singer Ne-Yo and singer/actress Serayah.
Draya Michele Was Once A Brand Ambassador For Savage X Fenty
Michele obtained a contract as a brand ambassador for Savage X Fenty, although she doesn't appear to be one of the models to cause controversy for Rihanna's clothing line. Known for her attractiveness and influence on Instagram, it's obvious why she was picked to represent the company. However, her distasteful word choices cause her to be demoted from that position.
According to Essence, In 2020, Michele made comments regarding Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez. Michele later apologized after receiving backlash. The rapper took notice and found Michele's remarks offensive. She took to Twitter tweeting, " ...that ain't [...] funny".
Eventually, In 2021, Michele took to Instagram requesting to resume her brand deal from Savage X Fenty. " I would like my @savagexfenty deal back in 2022. Just wishful thinking."
According to Popculture, after her public plea, she posted a comment on The Shade Room's report of the story. "I played myself, made triggering comments, was reprimanded and apologized. [...] That's growth. Bouncing back."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoZmkYq%2Biv8qeq5uZnKF6uLXVnqpmm5GowW6w0ZqwmmWdnrCpscueZKKrXZuurrvUrGSfp6Jk