The Stunning Transformation Of Adrienne Bailon Houghton
Adrienne Bailon Houghton is one of many Disney child stars who have turned their humble beginnings into a multi-million dollar empire. The talented star has many skills in her toolkit, from acting and singing to hosting multiple talk shows. She has repeatedly used her platform to be an inspiration to young girls everywhere, especially Latinas.
As a co-host on the award-winning daytime talk show The Real, Bailon is candid about many personal topics, including her marriage to a Christian singer, her personal battles with self-esteem during her girl group days, and even the breast implants she received at the height of her music career.
Now 37, the former child star has had a long and successful career, outlasting years' worth of highly publicized drama and breakups. Bailon has maintained her star status for decades — and looked amazing while doing so. Here's a look at this star's hard-won transformation over the years.
She got her big break through Ricky Martin
Adrienne Bailon Houghton, a native of the Lower East Side in New York City, got her first big break after Ricky Martin discovered her while she was singing in a church choir. He asked her and a few other choir singers to sing back-up at a concert, per NBC News. She was soon added to the girl group 3LW along with singers Kiely Williams and Naturi Naughton.
In 2000, the group released their self-titled debut album, which went certified platinum after selling over a million copies in the US (via Recording Industry Association of America). This feat propelled Bailon and the rest of the group into pop stardom.
Even though 3LW had much success, Naughton announced she was leaving the group in 2002, just before the release of their fourth studio album. MTV News reported that the separation was caused by growing tensions between Naughton and management, and Naughton claimed that there'd even been a violent food fight between the artists. Bailon and Williams both refuted Naughton's claims, per MTV News.
Bailon and Williams continued the group as a twosome, and the group eventually added on a new member, Jessica Benson. But by 2003, it was time to move on to new ventures: the Cheetah Girls.
She got breast implants during the Cheetah Girls era
Adrienne Bailon Houghton and Kiely Williams signed onto the hit movie franchise, The Cheetah Girls, along with singers Sabrina Bryan and Raven-Symoné in August 2003. The Cheetah Girls quickly became one of Disney's most popular franchises, with a series of award-winning movies and certified platinum albums over the next few years.
At the time, Bailon was still just a teenager, and the pressures of fame can be harsh at times. At the age of 19, she decided to get breast implants. "I wanted bigger breasts like everybody else," she explained to In Touch Weekly in 2014.
But things didn't go according to plan. "I went from one insecurity, about not having big breasts, to another about people thinking I had fake boobs. I was careless. I showed him [the surgeon] a picture and thought we had an understanding," she said. In 2014, she had the implants removed. The actress said she might get another lift after she has kids, per In Touch Weekly.
Both 3LW and the Cheetah Girls officially disbanded in 2008 (via Entertainment Tonight).
She went from singer to actress to talk show host
After the Cheetah Girls era ended, Adrienne Bailon Houghton broke out onto her own, doing more solo work such as music and a few guest appearances on Keeping Up With the Kardashians during her very public relationship (and breakup) with Rob Kardashian (via E! News).
Bailon went on to join the cast of The Real, a daytime talk show, in 2013 along with fellow former Disney star Tamera Mowry-Housley, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai, and the latest addition, Amanda Seales. Since Bailon has so much experience in girl groups, it's understandable why she was a natural addition to The Real, a show that's designed to feel like a group of women just having "girl talk." The show targets all topics related to women and it incorporates a variety of perspectives, as each co-host comes from a different background.
The Real has won two NAACP Image Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award. As reported in NBC News, Bailon is the first Latina talk show co-host to win an Emmy.
"I think that there is something to be said about being true to who you are. What is meant for you will be for you. And those doors will be opened because you are being authentic," she told NBC News.
She's hoping to cross a major milestone soon
Outside of The Real, Adrienne Bailon Houghton also hosts her own digital show, All Things Adrienne. The YouTube show showcases Bailon discussing beauty, fashion, home decor, and a mixture of other fun, girly topics. In April 2020, the YouTube channel hit 1 million followers.
When she's not busy working, Bailon spends time with her husband, gospel singer Israel Houghton, who she married in 2016. Cottages and Gardens reported that the two recently purchased a $3 million mansion in Calabasas, California. The beautiful new 5165-square-foot home houses five bedrooms and six bathrooms.
Though Bailon doesn't have any children yet, she's hoping to expand her family soon. On an April 12, 2020 episode of The Real at Home, she revealed that she and her husband are trying for a baby while they're at home for the coronavirus quarantine. She stocked up on pregnancy and ovulation tests to prepare, plus she read all about home births and midwives, she said. "If God allows me to get pregnant during this time, then it's in his will."
From breaking barriers on television to inspiring women everywhere, Bailon sure has come a long way from her backup singer days. What an inspiration!