'Selling Sunset's' Amanza Smith Explains The Touching Story Behind Her Wrist Tattoo
Selling Sunset star Amanza Smith is the in-house interior designer at the Oppenheim Group. She joined the cast in season two and has continued to demonstrate her stellar design and staging capabilities. However, as we’ve seen in season three of the Netflix docusoap, Smith will have to step out of her comfort zone and learn to sell houses. She’ll also have to work on being more prompt as Jason Oppenheim is totally not digging her reputation for being notoriously late.
But behinds the scenes, Smith has a pretty hectic schedule, not to mention an interesting journey to her career at the Oppenheim Group. We did a little digging into the Indiana native’s background. Here are 13 things you might not know about Selling Sunset star Amanza Smith.
She was a Deal or No Deal briefcase model
Much like her costars Chrishell Stause and Christine Quinn, she's not a complete newbie to TV. Smith starred in two seasons of Deal or No Deal prior to landing her role at the the Oppenheim Group. She was briefcase model number 20.
She has no idea where her children's biological father is
Smith was previously married to former NFL Player, Ralph Brown, who was a cornerback in the league for 10 seasons. The couple gave birth to a daughter, Noah, and a son, Braker, together but divorced in 2012. Within the past year, Brown has gone missing.
Smith recently told Entertainment Tonight that her ex-husband disappeared in August 2019 and she still has no idea where he. She has filed a missing person report and hired a private investigator.
Smith explains that even his best friend of 20 years is clueless about Brown's whereabouts. "He's alive somewhere because otherwise, we would know,” she tells the outlet. “It's the most bizarre—heartbreaking for my kids because it's not just their dad. That whole side of the family has just disappeared,” she says.
Prior to his disappearance, they shared 50/50 custody of Noah and Braker. “He was such an amazing father,” she recalls.
Despite the kids being in her care full-time since Brown’s disappearance, she’s unable to get full custody of them legally due to technicalities in the legal process as well as court dates being pushed back due to the coronavirus.
She goes way back with the Oppenheim brothers and Mary Fitzgerald
Old photos on Smith's Instagram show she's been tight with the Jason and Brett Oppenheim as well as Mary Fitzgerald for years before joining the brokerage.
She dated Taye Diggs after her divorce
As you may recall from season one, actor Taye Diggs was a client of the Oppenheim Group—Mary Fitzgerald handled the listing. However, Smith knew him way before he started investing in real estate. According to Express, the two dated from 2014 to 2018. Diggs was previously married to Frozen star Idina Menzel, while Smith was married to Ralph Brown, as aforementioned.
She was an NFL cheerleader
Go Colts! Smith had a brief stint as an NFL cheerleader for the legendary Indianapolis football team.
She’s very passionate about helping others
Scroll through Smith’s Instagram and you’ll see she’s no stranger to taking a stand for causes that are important to her. Last Easter, she collected donations to assemble Easter baskets to give the homeless community in Los Angeles. She’s also shared posts reminding her followers to vote, as well as posts regarding racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
In an interview with Deal or No Deal, she shed a light on one of her role models: Eliza Hamilton. She admires Eliza, wife of founding father Alexander Hamilton, for her role in establishing the first public orphanage in New York. “I love what she did for the ones that didn’t have the blessing of having a family," Smith said.
She’s 43 years old
Smith was born on December 12, 1976, and yes, she’s a Sagittarius. While this isn’t the most mind-blowing fact, most fans assumed she was much younger. I mean, she's got some pretty youthful skin.
She owns her own business
According to her Instagram bio, Smith is the CEO of Amanza Inc and runs an online boutique called Shop Social Scenes which sells designer clothing, home decor, luggage, jewelry, and more. Side hustles FTW!
She's an absolute dog lover
Smith recently introduced the adorable little Bowie into her family. Previously she had a pitbull.
She's a model
Werk it! Over the years, Smith has built up her modeling portfolio with some stunning shots. But as she revealed to Deal or No Deal, her first modeling gig was pretty small. She got her start posing for Lucky Strike Lanes. "You can still see the billboards across the country and the photo is so hilariously awful! " she recalls.
She's mixed-race
Very little is known about Smith's biological parents; however, she recently shared a photo to Instagram with a person appears to be her biological father, who is Black. Her biological mother is caucasian. It is unknown how involved they were with raising Smith.
She credits her best friend’s mom for raising her
Smith often calls out her best friend Jamie Ranah on Instagram, as well as Ranah’s mother, Shirley. In a throwback photo with Jamie, Smith writes “Her sweet mama raised me and is the reason I am the mother that I am today. Thank you Shirley and P.R for this amazing girl! Thank you God for blessing us with sweet Shirley who now rests in peace with you.”
Furthermore, Smith told Deal or No Deal that if she could have dinner with someone dead or alive it would be "with the woman who helped raise me and I thought of her as a mom." Smith explains that Shirley passed away from cancer when Smith was 19; however, remains so important in her heart as she tackles parenting solo. "I would love to sit with her and see what advice she would give me as a mother and also ask her how she believed I was doing as a mother because she was such an amazing role model!
Smith has a tattoo on her wrist that reads “All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother,” whom she names as Shirley.
Her proudest accomplishment is being a mom
"My proudest accomplishment is having my two babies and raising them as a single mom," she told Deal or No Deal. During season three of Selling Sunset, fans finally got a look into her life as a single mom in a super heartwarming moment when she picked them up for school.
Smith was stressed because she was struggling to sell at work, when Braker said, "We believe in you, we know that you can sell a house." Both kids expressed how “proud” they were of their mom. Braker even added, "I love you and I will always be by your side."
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