Who Is Winnie Harlow? 5 Inspiring Details About Wiz Khalifa's New Girlfriend
They finally went public with their PDA over the weekend.
getty Winnie Harlow and Wiz Khalifa are taking their relationship public.
The pair, who have been dating for a few months now, were seen holding hands as they left the Staples Center in Los Angeles following a Lakers' basketball game on Saturday.
According to the site Hollywood Life, the model and rapper confirmed their relationship back in August, after they were spotted together at Wiz's release party for his new album "Rolling Papers 2."
And now, Winnie and Wiz are officially showing some PDA as a new couple — and Winnie even shared the evidence herself via Instagram. While Wiz stepped out in Lakers team colors, Winnie opted for Fendi leggings with a matching crop top.
Prior to dating Winnie, Wiz Khalifa was married to Amber Rose from 2013-2014. The two have a 5-year old son named Sebastian.
When asked back in August at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards how they make co-parenting their son work, Amber said: "To be honest we don’t sleep together. Move forward and just make it about your child and you’ll be able to be friends."
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So, what does Wiz's ex think of the new relationship with Winnie Harlow? She's totally supportive.
"I met Winnie on several different occasions," Amber told Us Magazine in September, after Wiz and Winnie confirmed their relationship. "I think she’s a f—king sweetheart and you know, I love my ex-husband in a way where … it’s you know, he’s my best friend. In a weird way it’s like he turned into my brother."
"It’s like ‘God, I love you so much. I want you to be so happy.' And I think Winnie is so cool and also as a parent, it’s like, if Winnie is at the house, I know that she’s going to be so nice to my son and that’s so important to me instead of having a person that’s like not good to your baby. I think a lot of women, they’re always worried about what their kid’s father is doing with another girl when they need to worry about, ‘Is the girl nice? Is she good to your child?’ Cause that’s the most important thing and I think Winnie is such a sweetheart.”
As Winnie Harlow and Wiz Khalifa move forward with their new relationship, here are five details to know about Winnie Harlow and why she has become such an inspiration for many.
1. She was on America's Next Top Model.
The Canadian model was discovered on social media and was then asked by host Tyra Banks to appear on the 21st cycle of the show in 2014. On America's Next Top Model, she went by her original name, Chantelle Brown-Young.
Despite being on the hit reality show, Winnie has said that it did nothing for her modeling career and her real success came after the show.
"[My success] started after the show, 'cause that really didn't do anything for my career...which, it doesn't do anything for any model's career, realistically. A photographer from London hit me up—major photographer Nick Knight—and he was like, 'Hey, I've seen your photos online, and I want to do a shoot with you.' It went viral, and I got campaigns from there, and it hasn't stopped since."
2. She's worked with Beyonce.
The Lemonade visual album was an incredible, artistic success for music superstar Beyonce in 2016. When she got the call that Beyonce wanted her to appear in a video, Winnie was a guest judge on Germany's Next Top Model. After filming wrapped, Winnie then went to New Orleans to film for the epic musical project.
The legendary performer definitely made a positive impression on Winnie as well.
"Meeting her was amazing. I got off my flight and the airline had lost my bags and usually, I'd be very upset about something like that but hey... Beyoncé, right? I met with my driver who took me straight to set, did wardrobe, hair, then makeup, and then I was lead to the scene that was being filmed, which was the tree scene. I think I only looked down for a split second but when I looked up B was running in my direction. At this point, I'm thinking 'She's going to run past me, of course.' Nope, she stopped right in front of me, hugged me, thanked me so genuinely for coming so last minute and ran off for her wardrobe change. It was amazing to me how grateful she was for our time even though she's... Beyoncé?!"
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3. She believes you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
In an interview with Vogue, Winnie opens up about her initial dream of becoming a journalist. She was then suggested she should look into modeling, so she began doing some jobs from time to time.
She says she would encounter people who would say that she couldn't be a model, and that's what ultimately motivated her to pursue it further. She refused to let others make her feel she couldn't do something.
4. She doesn't consider vitiligo to be something she "suffers" from.
Winnie Harlow has a condition called vitiligo, which affects the pigmentation of one's skin. However, she has been open about her disdain for being referred to as someone who "suffers" from vitiligo. She sees beauty in all things and because of this, Winnie is also changing the standards of what society defines as beautiful.
In 2014, Winnie, who was still going by Chantelle Brown-Young at the time, spoke in a Ted Talk titled “My Story Is Painted on My Body”. In the video, she discusses finding beauty in everything and embracing what makes you unique.
5. She has become a role model for others.
Winnie's confidence and her willingness to fully love who she is has helped inspire others — whether it's others who have vitiligo specifically or anyone dealing with a lack of self-confidence.
One young girl that looks up to her is aspiring model April Star. The two were able to meet face to face during a taping of The Real, and it was an emotional, beautiful moment. In the segment, Winnie even expressed that April embodies the confidence that Winnie wished she had at that age.
Jill Zwarensteyn is a writer and Michigan native who covers trending news, pop culture, crime and celebrity topics.