Kenya Moore
Kenya Summer Moore Daly (née Moore; born January 24, 1971)[1] is an American actress, model, producer, author, television personality, and entrepreneur. She co-starred in the Bravo series The Real Housewives of Atlanta from 2012 onwards and was a member of the cast of The Celebrity Apprentice 7 in 2015. Moore rose to prominence in 1993 after winning the Miss USA contest which led her to compete in that year's Miss Universe pageant ultimately landing her among the top six. She subsequently appeared in films and television shows including Waiting To Exhale (1995) and Deliver Us From Eva (2003), The Steve Harvey Show (1998) and Girlfriends (2004). Moore has produced several film projects, had a book published, and starred in her own exercise video. She is also known for her involvement in entrepreneurial ventures and is the founder of hair care brand, Moore Hair.
Kenya Moore | |
---|---|
Moore in 2019 | |
Born | Kenya Summer Moore January 24, 1971[1] Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Other names | Kenya Moore Daly |
Education | Wayne State University |
Occupation |
|
Years active | 1992–present |
Title | |
Spouse(s) | Marc Daly
(m. 2017; sep. 2019) |
Children | 1 |
Beauty pageant titleholder | |
Major competition(s) | Miss Michigan USA 1993 (Winner) Miss USA 1993 (Winner) Miss Universe 1993 (Top 6) |
Website | kenyamoore |
Signature | |
Early life
Moore was born in Detroit, Michigan,[1][4] the daughter of teenagers Patricia Moore and Ronald Grant,[5] and was raised by her paternal grandmother Doris Grant[6][7](1931–2017)[8] and aunt after her mother abandoned her at three days old. The reality TV show star revealed that her mother never named her. "Since birth, my mother made the decision at age 16 to pretend she never had me. She has never spoken to me,” Kenya wrote. “Even if present in the same room with other people and family, she pretends that I simply don’t exist. She pretends I’m invisible," Kenya revealed on her Bravo blog.[9] Moore graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1989.[10] While still in high school, Moore experienced domestic violence from a much older boyfriend. In Moore's words, "He tormented me physically, mentally and once even nearly killed me by putting me into the hospital, from attacking me with a finger nail file… stabbing me with a finger nail file.”[11] Moore attended Wayne State University, where she majored in psychology and minored in communication.[12]
Career
Modeling and pageants
Moore began modeling at the age of 14 and in the course of her modeling career was the January 1992 cover girl for Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Company's Ebony Man's (EM) magazine.[13] She also became a model for the Ebony Fashion Fair cosmetic line. At 22, Moore won Miss Michigan USA (1993) and then became the second African American woman to win Miss USA. She then represented the United States in the Miss Universe 1993 pageant and placed fifth.[14]
Acting
Moore had parts in television programs including: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Meet The Browns, Homeboys in Outer Space, Sparks, Smart Guy, Video Soul Living Single, Damon, In the House, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Parent 'Hood, The Steve Harvey Show, Martin, Nubian Goddess, Men, Women & Dogs, The Parkers, Under One Roof, and Girlfriends. She has also appeared on the covers of Glamour, Seventeen, Ebony, and Essence magazines and can be seen in the music videos for Jermaine Dupri's "Money Ain't a Thang" (1998), Nas's "Street Dreams" (1996), Shai's "I Don't Wanna Be Alone" (1996),[15] and Tupac's "Temptations".[16] Additionally, Moore has appeared in several films: Waiting to Exhale (1995), Senseless (1998), Trois (2000), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Brothers in Arms (2005), Cloud 9 (2006), I Know Who Killed Me (2007), and Trapped: Haitian Nights (2010).
Reality Television
In May 2012, Moore joined the season five cast of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta.[17] In 2015 Moore was cast on The Celebrity Apprentice 7.[18]
Production
Moore has also produced and directed various projects and launched her own company, Moore Vision Media in 2008.[19] Moore Vision Media produced the erotic thriller “The Confidant”. Moore is credited as producer/director of the film Trapped: Haitian Nights.[20] After the project lost its director, Moore took over the production and completed the film. When the film failed to find distribution, Moore founded Moore Vision Media, an independent movie production and home-video distribution company.[19] The company's first production was The Confidant, released by Universal Vivendi on August 24, 2010.[21]
Authoring
On November 28, 2007 Moore published a book titled Game, Get Some!: What Women Really Want.[22] Described as a how-to guide, the book is a self-help and conduct containing relationship advice, as well as the author's personal experiences regarding interpersonal and intimate relationships.[23] Moore has stated about the book, "No one man can know everything there is to know about women, but with my help, they may just come close; I feel like the female Ms. Hitch! I want to bring us together not apart."[24] The author reviews self-esteem and self-concept issues, offers sexual advice, discusses tips on mending a relationship or the proper way to break up. "If you have shared a special bond with someone you have dated, if you always treat her with respect, you will always have a friend at the end of the day." Moore writes.[22]
Personal life
Moore married in June 2017 to businessman and restaurant owner[3] Marc Daly.[28][29] Moore announced in April 2018, that they are expecting their first child.[30] On November 3, 2018, Moore gave birth to a girl, named Brooklyn Doris Daly.[31][32] Per Moore, Brooklyn is in reference to the location she met her husband Marc, and Doris is after her late grandmother who raised her.[33]
Filmography
Film | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Film | Role | Notes | |
1995 | Waiting to Exhale | Denise | [34] | |
1998 | Senseless | Lorraine | [35] | |
2000 | Trois | Jasmine Davis | [36] | |
2001 | No Turning Back | Lia | ||
2003 | Deliver Us From Eva | Renee Johnson | [37] | |
Hot Parts | Passion | |||
2004 | Nas: Video Anthology Vol. 1 | Herself | ||
2005 | Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story | Leticia | ||
Brothers in Arms | Mara | |||
2006 | Cloud 9 | Champagne | ||
2007 | I Know Who Killed Me | Jazmin | [38] | |
2010 | Trapped: Haitian Nights | Nadine | ||
The Confidant | Eden Patterson | [39] | ||
2013 | Dolls of Voodoo | Nadine | ||
2016 | Sharknado: The 4th Awakens | Monique | ||
Television | ||||
Year | Show | Role | Notes | |
1994 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Dana | Mothers Day | |
1996 | Martin | Lena Bozack | You're All I Need | |
Homeboys in Outer Space | Nefertiti | Super Bad Foxy Lady Killer or Ty and Morris Get the Shaft | ||
1997 | Sparks | Ms. Collins | I, Spy | |
Smart Guy | Vivian Kennedy | Brother, Brother | ||
Living Single | Lisa DeLongPre | One Degree of Separation | ||
Nubian Goddess | Herself | Host | ||
1998 | Damon | Julia Burton | The Designer | |
The Steve Harvey Show | Miss Gerard | Educating Piggy | ||
1999 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Heidi | Change of Heart | |
1998–1999 | The Parent 'Hood | Celeste | Wedding Bells Blues,
A Sister Scorned | |
1999 | In The House | Valerie Bridgeforth | 6 episodes | |
2001 | Men, Women, & Dogs | Carmen | Sick as a Dog | |
2002 | The Parkers | Herself | It's Showtime | |
2004 | Girlfriends | Kara | Maybe Baby,
New York Bound | |
2012–Present | The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Herself | Main Cast (season 5-10, 12-); Guest (season 11) | |
2013 | Walk This Way | n/a | Abstinence | |
2015 | The Celebrity Apprentice 7 | Herself | 7th Place | |
2015 | The Millionaire Matchmaker | Herself | ||
2018 | Saints & Sinners | Nina Collier | Episode: "Personal, Not Business" | |
2020 | Family Reunion | Herself | Remember Cousin Kenya? | |
Music video | ||||
Year | Video | Role | Notes | |
1996 | Street Dreams | Ginger McKenna | Single by Nas | |
1998 | Money Ain't a Thang | Love interest | Single by Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z | |
References
- McCann, Bob (2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. p. 236. ISBN 9780786458042. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- "Take a Peek Inside Kenya Moore's Home with Husband Marc Daly". Bravo TV Official Site. 9 November 2017.
- "Here's a Mouthwatering New Fact About Kenya Moore's Husband Marc Daly". Bravo TV Official Site. 25 September 2017.
- "The Celebrity Apprentice - Kenya Moore". NBC.Com. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- "RHOA's Kenya Moore Regrets Not Inviting Her Dad to Her Wedding: 'I Really Wanted Him There'". PEOPLE.com.
- "Kenya Moore's Grandmother Has Passed Away". Bravo TV Official Site. 25 July 2017.
- "Kenya Moore Mourns Loss of Grandmother Who Raised Her". 25 July 2017.
- "Doris A. Grant Obituary - Detroit, MI - ObitTree™". obittree.com.
- "Kenya Moore Talks About Mother: 'She's Never Spoken to Me'". Black America Web. 10 December 2013.
- "Detroit Free Press - Home". Detroit Free Press.
- Sangweni, Yolanda. "Kenya Moore Says She Was Abused By Ex-Boyfriend Who Tried to Stab Her". Essence. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- Hoffman, Melody K. (March 10, 2008). "Actress Kenya Moore Coaches Men On What Women Really Want In Book "Game, Get Some!"". JET. 113 (9): 46. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- "Miss USA KENYA MOORE Tells Why She Feels 'Beauty Is Within'". JET. 83 (21): 20–23. March 22, 1993. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- "Watch Kenya Moore Win Miss USA 1993!". BravoTV.Com. February 5, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
- 2Pac - Temptations [Music Video]. 13 September 2013 – via YouTube.
- Nas - Street Dreams. 27 March 2011 – via YouTube.
- Season 5 Overview Archived 2014-04-14 at the Wayback Machine. The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Bravo. NBCUniversal
- Scott, Tracy. "NeNe Leakes: Porsha Williams was provoked". S2SMagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
- Moore Vision Media – http://www.moorevisionmedia.com/
- Kenya Moore. eurweb.com (September 24, 2008)
- "The Confidant (2010)". BlockBuster.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010.
- "Game Get Some!". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- Hoffman, Melody K. (March 10, 2008). "Actress Kenya Moore Coaches Men On What Women Really Want In Book "Game, Get Some!"". JET. 113 (9): 46. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- Moore, Kenya (2007). Game, Get Some!. ISBN 978-0979767500.
- Kenya Moore: Booty Boot Camp (Color, NTSC, Widescreen). March 5, 2013. ASIN B00BEZEFM4.
- "Kenya Moore's Hair Care Line Launch". Bravo. August 17, 2014.
- "Kenya Moore's Hair Products Are Some Of The Most Appreciated Ones Out There". celebrityinsider.org. February 4, 2020.
- Quinn, Dave (June 15, 2017). "Kenya Moore Is Married! Details from The Real Housewives of Atlanta Star's Romantic St. Lucia Getaway". People. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- Oliver, Brittney (June 20, 2017). "What We Know About Kenya Moore's New Husband". Essence. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/09/entertainment/kenya-moore-baby/index.html
- "Kenya Moore Birth".
- "Kenya Moore, 47, Welcomes First Child — Daughter Brooklyn Doris — After Pregnancy Complications". PEOPLE.com.
- Quinn, Dave (Nov 4, 2018). "Kenya Moore, 47, Welcomes First Child — Daughter Brooklyn Doris — After Pregnancy Complications". People. Retrieved Nov 4, 2018.
- "5 Things to Know About Real Housewife of Atlanta, Kenya Moore!". Wetpaint. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- "The 50 Hottest Bad Actresses Of All Time". Complex. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
- "Trois". Yahoo. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- Chris Witherspoon. "'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Kenya Moore developing show similar to Tyra Banks' 'Top Model'". The Grio. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- "And Sheree Whitfield's Replacement On Real Housewives Of Atlanta Is…". Perez Hilton. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
- "Rapper David Banner Starring In Upcoming Thriller". Icelebz. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2009.