Princess Love
Although some consider Princess Love’s rags-to-riches story inspirational, others use the former stripper turned reality TV star as a cautionary tale, reflecting her turbulent personal life. Born in Oakland, California, USA, on 14th August 1984, Princess has been affiliated to the entertainment industry for a decade, making her first small-screen appearance in “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” in 2014. At the time, she was already known for having been in a relationship with the professional boxer Floyd Mayweather.
Personal Life
After joining the cast of “LHH: Hollywood” as the girlfriend of Ray J – William Ray Norwood Jr. -known for being the singer Brandy Norwood’s brother, and for his infamous sex tape with Kim Kardashian – viewers were instantly hooked by Princess’s fiery personality and stunning looks. However, it was Princess and Ray J’s dysfunctional relationship what kept the public tuned in for several seasons, as the couple struggled to overcome his infidelities and her trust issues.
It would be almost impossible to list all the times Princess and Ray J broke up and got back together, but no one can forget when the “One Wish” singer pushed his girlfriend into a nearby swimming pool during what was meant to be a romantic candlelit dinner. The incident, which occurred during season one of “LHH: Hollywood” and overshadowed their relationship for years, took place when Ray J decided that he didn’t want Princess to speak to an ex-assistant of his.
The ensuing argument soon spiraled out of control, as Princess threw her drink at Ray J and began pelting him with food. When the model tried to throw a glass at Ray J, he grabbed her hand and asked her to stop several times; moments later, he pushed Princess into the pool when she tried to lunge at him, and walked away from the scene.
Although Princess would later describe the incident as her “karma”, the embarrassing moment was broadcast for millions to see, and soon went viral amongst the general public. Somehow, the couple worked through their numerous issues, and fans of Ray J and Princess were thrilled when he asked her to marry him in the season three finale of “LHH: Hollywood”.
The couple’s lavish wedding ceremony took place in August 2016 at the Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. From the star-studded guest list to Princess’s custom wedding gown, no expense was spared for the big day; rapper The Game was one of Ray J’s groomsmen, whereas his sister Brandy Norwood serenaded the couple in front of 150 guests. Unfortunately for both, their problems were far from over.
After experiencing a temporary lull in their relationship when Princess became pregnant in late 2017 and welcomed a daughter, Melody Love Norwood to the world in May 2018, the duo were once again plagued by serious break-up rumors in November 2019.
This time, Princess took to social media and accused Ray J of leaving her stranded during the 2019 Soul Train Awards, which were held in Las Vegas. Ray J, who was a big part of the event as one of the hosts of the red carpet pre-show, had posted a family photo of with his wife and daughter at the awards ceremony when Princess revealed what had happened.
“Left me and Melody stranded in Vegas and blocked me from calling…now you wanna post family photos. #ByeUgly” Princess commented under the photo. Naturally, the news began circulating online almost instantly, and she then explained via her Instagram stories that although she had money to fly home, she didn’t want to drive alone with her daughter as she was over eight months pregnant and afraid of going into early labor or running into human traffickers.
After threatening to file for divorce and claiming that Ray J had left her and Melody alone to be with another woman, Princess received a public apology from her husband, and they patched things up pretty soon for the birth of their son, Epik Ray Norwood. Somewhere down the line, Melody filed for divorce once again in May 2020, but dismissing the case two months later. In September of the same year, it was Ray J’s turn to initiate divorce proceedings, citing irreconcilable differences as the cause.
Netizens found it harder and harder to keep up with Ray J and Princess’s comings and goings; in July 2021, the social media personality filed a counter-petition for divorce – but by then, the couple were participating in VH1’s “Couples Retreat”, a reality show for celebrity marriages on the brink of separating. This led many viewers to think that the musician and former stripper were trying to drum up publicity for the show, and had no intention of actually divorcing.
After the show, Ray J and Princess salvaged their relationship and worked hard on creating a peaceful environment for their children. Nevertheless, their united front didn’t last long, as Ray J filed for divorce yet again in October 2021, and the couple presumably stopped living together, although they did co-parent to the best of their abilities.
Despite being in the midst of divorce proceedings, Ray J and Princess still came together for various milestone events such as birthdays and holidays. Finally, the actor filed to dismiss the divorce in March 2023. Many netizens are unimpressed with the couple’s attitude, and think that they should be fined for wasting the court’s time; it’s important to note that, although Ray J recently flaunted his wife at the 2023 BET Awards, she hasn’t posted her husband for months.
Career & Net Worth
Even if Princess is more known for her marriage to Ray J than her business ventures, the Instagram model – who has almost four million followers – is also a keen entrepreneur. Her make-up and beauty line, PRELLA Cosmetics, was founded in 2019 and has hundreds of happy customers; meanwhile, Princess also has her own cooking platform, Prep with Princess, which she uses to share mouth-watering videos of comfort food and desserts.
Although Princess’s career has slowed down as she focuses on motherhood, the reality TV personality is worth a reported $2 million thanks to brand endorsements, PRELLA Cosmetics, and other ventures.
