Ayesha Curry: 16 Details About The TV Star And Basketball Wife
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Ayesha Curry (née Alexander) left her home state of North Carolina to move to Los Angeles and chase her dream of becoming an actor. While there, she reconnected with an old acquaintance, Stephen "Steph" Curry, whom she had met at a church youth group during their teen years, according to Sports Illustrated. The Canadian-born stunner would turn down Curry's advances at first, before finally falling for the now-professional basketball player and becoming Mrs. Curry in 2011.
Ayesha's light shines just as brightly as her superstar husband's. As a social media influencer, she has built an empire of her own, centered around her passion for cooking. But not only has she headlined her own television shows, including "Ayesha's Home Kitchen" on the Food Network and ABC's "Family Food Fight." She has also written a New York Times best-selling cookbook, "The Seasoned Life," and ventured outside of the culinary world in 2019 to become CoverGirl cosmetics ambassador, People reported. In short, life is good for this WAG (the acronym for athletes' wives and girlfriends), but living her life in the spotlight hasn't always been easy.
From a difficult pregnancy that required five hospitalizations, to her zany ability to recall exactly what she ate during special moments of her life, read all about Ayesha Curry.
She avoided a first kiss from Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry looked back on his relationship with Ayesha when the couple spoke with Parents magazine in 2017. "I always had my eye on her, but I got a little shaken, for sure," the baller said of their first encounters.
Ayesha wasn't allowed to date in high school, anyway, but years later, Steph would link up with his crush when he was a junior at Davidson College in North Carolina. Ayesha was focusing on her acting career out in LaLa Land. When Steph visited the Golden State for the ESPY Awards, he looked Ayesha up on Facebook and asked her out on a date — well, at least he thought it was a date.
"I mean, it was friend vibes ... until I dodged his first kiss," Ayesha said of their Los Angeles meetup. "He was in mid-conversation and came flying at my face like a thief in the night. So I was like, 'No.' Then I thought, 'Oh, I didn't know this is what was happening,'" she told Parents. Steph "struck out" on his first attempt at getting a smooch, but they eventually started dating, and bada bing, bada boom, they're now married and the parents of three kids.
Ayesha Curry began cooking at a young age
Ayesha Curry spent most of her childhood near Toronto, and Forbes reported that her parents' careers were "strenuous," so any time they spent with Ayesha and her four siblings was precious. "It was at the kitchen table where we had our best (and worst) conversations," Ayesha told the outlet.
It was during those early years of her life that she also realized she loved to cook. Ayesha began practicing her craft at age 12, and her parents put on a cooking-themed birthday party for her when she turned 13. "My friends and I cooked the day away!" Ayesha told Forbes. "That moment made a big impact on me. I didn't know I could be doing that for a living." She put her love for cooking on hold as she got older, but it was her husband, Steph Curry, who convinced her to pursue her dream, per ESPN. Ayesha launched a blog and a YouTube channel where she's shared some of her favorite recipes, like Brown Sugar Bacon. Yum!
After watching cooking star Rachael Ray at night growing up, Ayesha has now been a guest on Ray's show multiple times. She promoted her first cookbook there: "I just wanted it to be sort of an arsenal that a young girl going to college, or like your auntie that's never cooked before, can have something that they can cook from with ease," she told the audience about "The Seasoned Life."
Food is life for Ayesha Curry
To call Ayesha Curry a foodie is an understatement. Since she was a little girl, she has had a love affair with anything culinary-related. She frequently posts throwback photos on her Instagram account, and one picture, in particular, shows a young Ayesha surrounded by mounds of food on a dinner table. She captioned the photo: "Food ... my love language. Circa 1992."
"I can remember what I ate in the most important moments in my life," she told Forbes, and this unique ability continues on to this day. Ayesha recalled a Christmas Day gathering at her home that coincided with one of Steph Curry's basketball games. "I don't even remember the game, but I remember the food," she said. "We made lasagna and it was fast and easy. We had paper plates but nobody cared. Everyone was talking, laughing, and enjoying each other." In 2022, while appearing on Hailey Bieber's YouTube channel, Ayesha was presented with Jamaican food and said that it is part of her family heritage on her mother's side. "Anytime I get to sit down and have a meal like this, it makes me feel like I'm with them, back at home," she said.
Sounds like Ayesha just might be the first person ever with a foodographic memory. Sweet.
Acting wasn't her passion
Ayesha Curry began acting at age three, according to ESPN, and eventually headed out to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment business. Among other projects, she appeared on two Disney Channel shows — "Hannah Montana" in 2009 and "Good Luck Charlie" in 2010.
Marrying Steph Curry caused Ayesha to do a complete 180 and pause her plans for the entertainment industry. She became pregnant not long after they tied the knot. Ayesha told Parents about her daughter Riley, "She was a borderline honeymoon baby. So that became my next move." Being a young mom and charting out her career path wasn't easy, but Ayesha has always been dedicated to her family.
Though she's since flexed her acting chops on various television shows, including an appearance on "Ballers" alongside her hubby, Ayesha realized scripted TV wasn't her main goal. "For a long time, acting was my passion. It was all that I wanted to do. To be honest, I still think about it. But I never felt as full as I do now," the star told Called magazine in 2015. She continued, "Deep down, I knew [acting] wasn't the right path for me. It took me a while to figure out what my calling and passion is. I now know it's my family and cooking. I feel [they've] given me a great platform to spread [God's] Word."
This WAG has a voice
Ayesha Curry has caught a lot of heat for being outspoken on Twitter, and it was a December 2015 line that really left heads rolling. Ayesha wrote: "Everyone's into barely wearing clothes these days huh? Not my style. I like to keep the good stuff covered up for the one who matters." This tweet regarding scantily-clad women immediately made headlines. For those who bashed her for her opinion, an equal amount of supporters came to her defense. Still, the celeb told ESPN that she tries not to let the haters get to her. "At the end of the day, the internet is full of mean people," she said. "Who are these people in their everyday life? I pray for them."
Then, after Steph Curry was ejected from Game 6 of the NBA finals in the Golden State Warriors' matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, Ayesha wrote in a since-deleted tweet (via USA Today), "I've lost all respect sorry this is absolutely rigged for money... Or ratings [I'm] not sure which. I won't be silent. Just saw it live sry." Ayesha had more to say, as she explained that police had racially profiled her dad, and she was, understandably, upset. "I'm okay that we lost... I just can't take people coming at my family for absolutely no reason. Something I don't understand or stand for," she tweeted.
This woman has her own voice and opinions, and "NBA Wife" is not how she prefers to be described. "I don't think I'll ever call myself that," she told "Nightline" in 2018.
Ayesha Curry's third pregnancy was her toughest
After shocking her fans by revealing she was "preggers" with her third child in 2018, Ayesha Curry wrote for Go Inspo, "... I️ am now a firm believer in the fact that every pregnancy is different for every woman!" As she was diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum, the mom was tired and discouraged by nausea and continual illness. She was not able to cook and struggled to even eat.
Ayesha was hospitalized five times throughout her pregnancy, she revealed on her Instagram. The star wrote six months in, "Praising God because I can finally eat and cook a little bit again! Pray that it sticks for me y'all!" Her positive spirits continued through delivery. "My heart is FULL! God has been too good to us," Ayesha wrote on IG after Canon, the spitting image of his handsome dad, was born.
Her condition led to Ayesha undergoing thyroid and cyst removal surgery months after she gave birth, and the procedures went well (via SFGate).
Her son's special name, seven years in the making
Ayesha Curry told People magazine that she and her groom, Steph Curry, picked out their future babies' names while on their honeymoon in 2011. They decided on a name for a baby boy, and another name for a baby girl, though they opted to scratch the girl name and go with "Riley" instead when their eldest daughter was born in 2012.
Following the birth of their second daughter, Ryan Curry, in 2015, Ayesha was finally able to put the boy's name to use when she and Steph welcomed Canon Wardell Jack Curry in July 2018. The name holds significant meaning to the power couple. Ayesha explained to People, "France is one of our favorite places to vacation, and so his name's actually French and it means young wolf, which Stephen loved because we kind of consider ourselves a wolf pack."
The name is also significant to the Currys' religious faith, with its long Christian history. As for Canon's two middle names — Wardell and Jack — they're family names, too. Wardell, Stephen's first name, goes back to his grandfather. Of course, his fellow basketball star dad is known as Dell Curry.
How Ayesha Curry empowers her daughters
"My parents were very encouraging towards me as a child," Ayesha Curry told Parents magazine. "I remember feeling powerful and that life had no ceiling. I try to encourage my girls through my actions as a mom and as a business woman. The world is yours for the taking. You just have to work for it."
One way she chose to empower her eldest daughter, Riley Curry, was by allowing her daughter to dabble in makeup at a young age. "I let her play around at home, but I had to make sure that she knew that in her own skin she is beautiful, and she doesn't need it, but I didn't want to inhibit her by telling her she couldn't play around with it," Ayesha told People in 2019 after becoming a CoverGirl ambassador.
The cooking star and entrepreneur shared more of her motherly philosophy with Parents in 2022. Ayesha said that along with offering acts of kindness toward others, she models kindness toward herself and her body so that her daughters also see self-care and positivity.
It's not easy being a Curry
One would think that being married to a four-time basketball champion would come with an endless amount of perks — and we're sure it does — but there's another side to being a social media star and the wife of an NBA great.
Ayesha Curry told ESPN in 2016 that since she and Steph have been pushed into the limelight, attempting to do regular, everyday things is tricky for the Curry clan. "It takes a lot of planning for us to go out," she said, noting that they have to be careful about where to take their children and must consider security measures.
Of course, as Ayesha mentioned on "9 to 5ish with theSkimm" in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a blurring of work life and home life for so many. "We understand that everything we're doing is for good, and it's impactful, and as long as it checkmarks those boxes, we feel okay," she said of their busy lives. The mom of three elaborated on her thought process, saying, "So for us, I think we find our balance in knowing that as long as our kids are okay and we're being great parents and we're leaning into that and ... [Steph] and I are coming together and our communication skills are at 100, then everything else is okay."
She had to shut down rumors about her marriage
With a marriage in the public eye, Ayesha and Stephen Curry are bound to be victims of baseless rumors spreading about them online. In 2021, the couple became the topic of discussion when gossip account @DeuxMoi reposted an anonymous tip in their Instagram Story about an NBA couple not being as faithful to each other as they seem. Per The Jasmine Brand, the tip alleged this couple had secret hookups with other people on the side while appearing to be a happy family in public.
Online, some speculated that the Currys were the alleged couple with the secret open marriage. After the two trended on Twitter and fans bombarded their social media accounts, Ayesha stepped in to clear the air. She responded to a fan in her Instagram comments who criticized her for wanting to be in an open marriage. "Don't believe everything you read," she replied back in a comment (via The Shade Room). "Do you know how ridiculous that is? Don't disrespect my marriage like that. Please and thank you." Well, that's one way to set the record straight.
Her comments on male attention caused controversy
If you're appearing on Jada Pinkett Smith's "Red Table Talk," please prepare for drama to follow. In a 2019 appearance, Ayesha Curry opened up about her life as an athlete's wife. She discussed the lack of attention she receives versus what her famous husband gets. "Something that really bothers me, and honestly has given me a sense of a little bit of an insecurity, is the fact that yeah, there are all these women throwing themselves [at Steph], but me, like the past 10 years, I don't have any of that, I have zero — this sounds weird, but — male attention," Curry said. "And so then I begin to internalize it and I'm like, 'Is something wrong with me?'"
Despite clarifying that she didn't necessarily want male attention, Curry's comments didn't go over well. Twitter users made jokes, and some critics called her statements disrespectful to her husband. Curry responded with an Instagram post encouraging people to speak their truth despite any backlash. She suggested that her followers watch the whole "Red Table Talk" episode. "As women let's continue to uplift, empower and not suppress and compress our feelings and thoughts..." she wrote. Her husband went on Instagram Stories to commend his wife, writing, "Proud of you for being authentic and putting yourself out there — not being afraid of the potential bull s*** and nonsense that could and did come at you," he wrote. "Way more positive than negative with all of this. Keep being you. I love you " (via SFGate).
Ayesha Curry keeps her marriage spicy
For many couples, hitting the decade mark in a marriage is something to celebrate. Especially a couple as famous as Steph and Ayesha Curry. In 2021, the loving couple celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary with a special vow renewal ceremony officiated by their daughter, Riley. Ayesha revealed on Instagram that the ceremony was a complete surprise that was planned by her thoughtful husband.
While promoting their couples-themed game show, "About Last Night," Ayesha revealed how they keep an established marriage exciting. "For us, it's just not forgetting to date each other, make the time to get dressed up and go out and do all the things. That's what keeps it spicy," she told Access in 2022.
During COVID-19 quarantine, Ayesha said the two were able to connect even more. "We said [in] the pandemic, you really learn if you like somebody or not," she told ET. Fortunately for these two, they made a great discovery. "I said, 'Ooh, we really like each other. This is good.'" With 10 years under their belts and a flourishing trio of kids, it's no surprise that Ayesha is looking toward to the future with her hubby. "[Steph Curry] is by far, hands down the most amazing being I know. I can't wait to see what the next 50 has in store for us," she captioned the photo commemorating their special anniversary.
She's gone from writing cookbooks to designing shoes
Ayesha Curry has been slowly building her empire. Outside of making her mark in the kitchen with cookbooks and cookware, she can now add shoe designer to the list. In March 2022, Curry announced her first shoe collection with JustFab, titled "Invent Yourself." The collection features chic shoes for spring that were named after historic Black women like Nina Simone and Maya Angelou. "To honor these women in history who have paved the way and done tremendous things, I think was the smallest thing that I could do," Curry told Footwear News. "We featured names of a lot of women in literature. It was so special to be able to shine light in such a unique way on women that don't nearly get enough credit."
Curry said the shoe line was inspired by Coachella and how after the pandemic, she wanted to embrace a more vibrant and free-spirited style to step outside with. While walking into the world of shoe design, Curry admitted she had some prior knowledge of the business thanks to her famous husband, with his own line of signature shoes.
The entrepreneur, who co-owns International Smoke restaurants with Chef Michael Mina, has also opened up her own boutique shop and café in Oakland named Sweet July, which has its own magazine and lifestyle brand. She described the place as her dream, achieved. "I walk in and it's just the same feeling every time, like, 'Wow, this really came to fruition.' And it's here, in the Oakland community, which meant so much to me," she told ET.
Her tattoos hold a special meaning
If there's one thing Ayesha Curry loves more than cooking a delicious meal, it's getting inked. The cookbook queen has plenty of tattoos that hold a special meaning to her and her family. In 2019, the mother of three showed off a new tat on her Instagram. The gorgeous art included a unicorn, a butterfly, and a wolf to represent her three children. "For my unicorn horse riding big girl, my creative free spirited butterfly baby girl and my young wolf," she explained in the caption. Months later, she revealed on Instagram that her husband, Steph, had the personal piece tattooed on his leg to match hers.
This isn't the only matching tattoo the couple has. In 2014, Ayesha shared a photo on Instagram showing off their matching arrows. The couple explained the meaning behind the ink in an interview for Parents. "This signifies the past is behind us and the future isn't promised, so we stay right in the middle, in the moment," Steph explained. He revealed that patting the tattoo is part of their special pre-game ritual."It's a reminder for him to have fun, his job should be fun and I never want him to lose that," Ayesha added.
In 2019, Ayesha also had a weeping willow tattooed on her body. Though it's unclear what this specific piece means to her, the tattoo artist Winter Stone captioned the photo with hashtags including #love #family #strength #warriors.
Fans weren't happy when she changed her look
New wig, new her! Ayesha Curry is no stranger to changing her look. The mother of three loves trying out different hairstyles and encourages her fans to do the same. In 2020, Curry debuted blonde locks in an Instagram upload and it caused quite a stir. "Mom goes blonde (temporarily)," she captioned the post. Fans on Twitter were quick to express their confusion and even joked that the entrepreneur looked unrecognizable. Some fans even accused Curry: "Ayesha Curry out here looking like a white woman," one person tweeted. "Ayesha Curry goes blonde and morphs into Cameron Diaz," another user joked.
Despite the memes and the accusations, Curry took to Twitter and shut down any speculation of her permanently changing her looks. "It's the fun wig for a switch up and extremely common IG filter we all use from time to time for me..." she wrote with laughing emojis. "Y'all be talking this stuff wayyy to [sic] serious." It wasn't long before her husband stepped in to defend her. Per Insider, in a comment on her IG photo, her husband praised her new look, gushing, "You beautiful baby. And don't you let anybody tell you differently ok? I mean it. There's just a bunch of meanies out there and I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. Do you boo boo." The couple proceeded to tease each other in the comments, showing off their silliness for followers to see.
Ayesha Curry champions a special cause
Since stepping into the spotlight, Ayesha Curry has used her platform for good. One cause close to her heart is child hunger. Ayesha knows the importance of having enough food and has spoken in front of lawmakers about what more they could do to end hunger. In 2021, the celebrity chef delivered a powerful testimony before the House Committee on Rules and the Congressional Hunger Caucus about the hunger crisis and its impact on children in the United States.
"Every missed meal counts for a kid, because an empty stomach that hurts today also hurts their futures. This is especially true for kids from families of color, who face hunger, poverty, and hardship at even higher levels. I've personally seen hunger in the community of Oakland," she said. The star was there on behalf of the "Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation," a non-profit organization she co-founded with her husband, Stephen Curry. When starting the foundation, Ayesha knew the cause she personally planned to platform.
"When it came to what we wanted to advocate for, for him, that was always education and being active. For me it was always food and childhood hunger," she explained in an interview with Town & Country Magazine. With their foundation, Ayesha has also teamed up with No Kid Hungry to do her part in making a difference. In 2019, when the couple became No Kid Hungry's first National Spokesfamily, Eat. Learn. Play pledged to match as many as 2.5 million meal donations to children in need.