Amber Rose Levonchuck (born October 21, 1983) is an American model and television personality. She first gained attention after she appeared in the music video for
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's single "
Put On
"Put On" is a song by American recording artist Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West, from Jeezy's third studio album '' The Recession''. The song was released as the album's lead single on June 3, 2008. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best ...
". In 2008, Rose began a high-profile two-year romantic relationship with West that led her to star in his
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...
ads. She then signed a modeling contract with
Ford Models
Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford.
Company
Ford Models was started in 1946 by Eileen ...
in 2009. She would attain further prominence after she appeared as a
video vixen
A video vixen (also referred to as a hip hop honey or video girl) is a female model who appears in hip hop-oriented music videos. The video vixen image has become a staple in popular music, especially within the genre of hip hop.Story, Kaila ...
in numerous hip-hop music videos.
After splitting from West in 2010, Rose began dating rapper
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...
, whom she married in 2013. Rose filed for divorce in 2014. Following this, she released her first book, ''How to Be a Bad Bitch'', published by
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
. In 2015, she founded the Los Angeles chapter of the
SlutWalk
SlutWalk is a transnational movement calling for an end to rape culture, including victim blaming and slut shaming of sexual assault victims. Participants protest against explaining or excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman's app ...
protest march, an annual feminist demonstration founded in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. Rose then hosted her own
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...
call-in
In broadcasting, a phone-in or call-in is a programme format in which viewers or listeners are invited to air their live comments by telephone, usually in respect of a specific topic selected for discussion on the day of the broadcast. On radio ( ...
program ''
Loveline
''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pin ...
''.
Early life
Amber Levonchuck was born on October 21, 1983, in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, Pennsylvania, to Dorothy Rose and Michael Levonchuck. Her father is of Irish and Italian descent and her mother is of Cape Verdean and maternal Scottish descent from Ayrshire. She has one brother named Antonio Hewlett. Rose grew up in
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.
Rose claimed to have begun stripping at the age of 15 under the pseudonym "Paris", to provide for her family after her parents' divorce. On Van Lathan's ''The Red Pill'' podcast, she claimed that she also attempted to sell crack cocaine, but was not successful.
Modeling career
Rose's appearance in
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's "
Put On
"Put On" is a song by American recording artist Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West, from Jeezy's third studio album '' The Recession''. The song was released as the album's lead single on June 3, 2008. The song received a Grammy nomination for Best ...
" video in 2008 caught the attention of West. Rose then gained more exposure after posing for a
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...
print advertisement featuring West's sneaker line. Rose walked the
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concre ...
at
New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general publ ...
for "
Celestino Celestino is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Anthony Celestino, the touring bassist for the ''Blink-182'' side project, Box Car Racer
*Celestino Alfonso (1916–1944), Spanish republican and volunteer in the ...
". Rose has also made cameos in music videos such as
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
's "
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall.
The debut Massive Attack album '' Blue Lines'' was releas ...
",
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
's "
Vacation
A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for specific festi ...
",
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...
Fabolous
John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
Ford Models
Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford.
Company
Ford Models was started in 1946 by Eileen ...
from 2009 to 2010.
In 2010, she appeared in Russell Simmons's reality show about his two assistants, ''
Running Russell Simmons
''Running Russell Simmons'' is an American reality television series on Oxygen that premiered on November 2, 2010. The series chronicles the lives of Russell Simmons and his assistants as they manage his business deals, family life and party plann ...
NOH8 Campaign
The NOH8 Campaign (NOH8 meaning "No Hate") is a charitable organization whose mission is to promote LGBT marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest.
The campaign was created as photographic ...
. In 2011, Rose was a guest judge on
Season 3
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...
of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
''. She was also a judge on
Season 2 Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* '' 2econd Season''
See also
*
{{disambig ...
of ''
Master of the Mix
''Master of the Mix'' is a reality television series and disc jockey competition. The 2010 season of the show had eight episodes and seven disc jockeys. The show was hosted by Just Blaze and judged by Kid Capri. Biz Markie was a regular guest. ...
''. In November 2011, she became the spokesperson for
Smirnoff
Smirnoff (; ) is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov (1831–1898). It is distributed in 130 countries. Smirnoff prod ...
and appeared in television ads and billboards for the company's new flavors Whipped Cream and Fluffed Marshmallow.
Musical pursuits
Rose released her debut single "Fame", which features
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...
, on January 10, 2012, followed by a second single, titled "Loaded", released on February 6, 2012. She then rapped on the eleventh track of her ex-husband's album '' O.N.I.F.C.'', titled "Rise Above", along with rappers Tuki Carter and Pharrell Williams, who produced the song. She was managed by Leticia "Tish" Cyrus, mother of singer
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip ho ...
, who is Rose's and her ex-husband Wiz Khalifa's close friend.
Business endeavors
In September 2009, Rose announced plans to launch her own eyewear line. In 2012, Rose opened a clothing line with her friend Priscilla Ono called Rose & Ono. Rose guest-starred on an episode of ''
Wild 'N Out
''Wild 'N Out'' is an American sketch comedy and improv game show series that was created and is hosted by musician and comedian Nick Cannon currently airing on VH1. It debuted on July 28, 2005 on MTV.
In April 2019, the series had been rene ...
'' on MTV2, and had a role as "MaryWanna" in the film ''
School Dance
A dance party (also referred to as a dance) is a social gathering where dancing is the primary activity. Some dance parties are held in a casual setting and open to the public, such as a rave, or those held in nightclubs.
Other types of dance ...
'', which was directed by her manager,
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American television host, actor, rapper, and comedian. In television, Cannon began as a teenager on ''All That'' before going on to host '' The Nick Cannon Show'', ''Wild 'n Out'', ''America's ...
in 2014.
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
published her first book, ''How to Be a Bad Bitch,'' in which she offers advice and personal anecdotes on everything from finances and career to love and fashion. The cover features an image shot by famed photographer
David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion, photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His pho ...
.
In 2015, Rose filmed "Walk of No Shame with Amber Rose" with
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a re ...
. The viral video helped promote Rose's SlutWalk, which took place on October 3, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. In March 2016, Rose launched an emoji app called MuvaMoji, featuring 900 emoji icons that she curated.
In May 2016, it was announced that Rose would star in her own
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...
entitled '' The Amber Rose Show'' on VH1, which debuted on July 8, 2016. On September 8, 2016, Rose began hosting ''
Loveline
''Loveline'' is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pin ...
''.
''Dancing with the Stars''
On August 30, 2016, Rose was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on the 23rd season of '' Dancing with the Stars''. She was partnered with professional dancer
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim "Maks" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy ( uk, Максим Олександрович Чмерковський ; born January 17, 1980) is a Ukrainian-American Latin–ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is widely known ...
. They were eliminated on October 17 and finished in ninth place.
Personal life
Relationships
Rose dated rapper
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
for two years, starting in 2008.
She began dating rapper
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...
in early 2011. The couple got engaged on March 1, 2012, and married on July 8, 2013. Their son was born in 2013. Rose, Khalifa, and their son divided their time between homes in Los Angeles and
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. The town lies in a rich coal distr ...
. Rose filed for divorce from Khalifa on September 22, 2014, citing
irreconcilable differences
''Irreconcilable Differences'' is a 1984 American comedy-drama film starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore. The film was a minor box-office success, making over $12 million. For their performances, both Long and Barrymore were no ...
and planned to take full custody of their son. As of 2015, Rose and Khalifa have
joint custody
Joint custody is a form of child custody pursuant to which custody rights are awarded to both parents. Joint custody may refer to ''joint physical custody'', ''joint legal custody'', or both combined.
In joint legal custody, both parents of a ...
of their son.
Rose dated
Machine Gun Kelly
George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thom ...
in April 2015, they split up two months later.
Beginning in summer 2017, Rose was dating
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...
. As of March 2018, the couple have separated.
In 2009, in regard to her sexual orientation, Rose stated, "I'm extremely open with my sexuality. I can be in love with a woman, I can be in love with a man. As far as humans go, I definitely find beauty in everybody, whether they're heavy-set, super-skinny, if they're white, black, Indian, Asian, Spanish. I can see beauty in anybody. If I see a woman and I think she's beautiful and I like her, and she likes me back we can definitely try to be in a relationship together." In 2016, Rose disclosed to guest
Margaret Cho
Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...
during an episode of her podcast ''Love Line with Amber Rose'' that she once dated a
trans man
A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that inc ...
.
On April 3, 2019, Rose disclosed via an Instagram post that she is expecting a baby boy with Def Jam record label executive Alexander Edwards. In October 2019, Rose gave birth to a son.
SlutWalk
On October 3, 2015, Rose led the Los Angeles-based
SlutWalk
SlutWalk is a transnational movement calling for an end to rape culture, including victim blaming and slut shaming of sexual assault victims. Participants protest against explaining or excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman's app ...
to honor all women who have been judged and demeaned for their sexual behavior. As part of the event, Rose spoke publicly about the instances of shaming she has experienced, specifically mentioning an incident at the age of 14, when a male classmate pulled his genitals out while in a closet with her playing the kissing game "
seven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven (or seven minutes in the closet) is a kissing party game mostly played at teenage parties. The game may also be played with a different duration.
The game
Two people are selected to go into a closet or other dark encl ...
". Rose related that he tricked her into kneeling down in front of him, then threw open the closet door for all of their friends to see, suggesting
oral sex
Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex p ...
had taken place. Rose grew visibly agitated while speaking about the bullying that followed, demonstrating for her audience the depth of the trauma the experience caused.
Rose has since been associated with the event annually.