Even if you’re not a 76ers fan, it’s hard not to notice Joel Embiid on the basketball court! The 7-foot center dominates the court and is a regular on the All-Star team. But what about off the court? If you want to learn more about Joel Embiid’s Brazilian model wife, you’re in the right place!
Read on to learn more about the special lady in Embiid’s life, Anne de Paula.
Who Is Anne de Paula?
Anne was born in 1995 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She grew up in a favela in Rio and was a tomboy who excelled at soccer. From 8 to 13, she played soccer for her school but gave that up when she started modeling at age 13.
She was reportedly reluctant to be in front of the camera. But after some encouragement from her mother, she grew comfortable posing and being photographed. Before dating Embiid, Anne was reported to have dated Irish rock star Danny O’Donoghue for three years.
Anne has a large Instagram following and loves to post selfies and behind-the-scenes photos of her SI swimsuit photoshoots. She says Shake Shack and Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) are guilty pleasures.
Anne de Paula’s Modeling Career
Anne’s mom was approached by an agent who convinced her to do a photo shoot, even though she was reluctant to participate. Her mom finally convinced her to give it a shot; the rest is history.
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When she was 22, she entered the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model search in 2017, where she posed in body paint.
She won the fan vote and became an SI Swimsuit rookie in 2018. Since then, she has posed several more times in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and has been photographed with models like Kate Upton and Ashley Graham.
One of her most memorable shoots was in Kenya, where she was photographed just feet from a lion. She also identified the opportunity to visit a local village and get to know the locals as a special part of that trip.
How Did Anne and Joel Meet?
Anne and Joel met in 2018 through a mutual friend. They were attending a dinner together in New York City but didn’t even talk to each other much that night. Anne later admitted that she didn’t even know he was a basketball player.
They didn’t start dating right away but instead were friends first. They FaceTimed daily and bonded over their shared love of soccer, speaking French, and the desire to start a family someday.
Anne traveled to China for the Sixers’ preseason games in 2018, and they were first seen in public in October 2018. She was also at their home opener in 2018. Finally, on Valentine’s Day 2019, Anne made their relationship official on Instagram with a tribute to Joel on her account.
After almost 5 years of dating, Embiid and Paula tied the knot during a lavish ceremony in Southampton, New York on July 22, 2023.
Anne de Paula and Joel Embiid’s Child
On September 17, 2020, Anne gave birth to her first child with Embiid, a baby boy named Arthur Elijah De Paula Embiid. He weighed 8.8 lbs. Joel shared photos of him and the newborn on Instagram with a caption that emphasized his desire for a big family:
“We are so blessed and fortunate to welcome our little boy in this family. First of 11 or more? Trying to convince her but I’m not winning so far. I’m just trying to build a soccer team but for real I’m so excited for the future and my life has a new meaning.
“Kudos to @annedepaula_ for being so strong and giving me the Greatest Gift our life can offer.”
So far, Anne and Joel have kept baby Arthur’s face under wraps, only posting photos where you can’t see his face, photos of his hands, or a photo where a sticker is covering his face.
After Arthur’s birth, she’s been enjoying being a mom, spending Mother’s Day with her own mother for the first time in two years, and cheering on Joel from the stands.
Want marriage advice from NBA stars? Listen to what Dwayne Wade has to say.
