Karrueche Tran was born in Los Angeles in 1988 to a Vietnamese mother and a Jamaican father. Since graduating from Birmingham High School in 2006, Karrueche has carved out a career in acting, modelling, hosting, and, perhaps most significantly of all, dating… her ill-fated relationship with troubled hip-hop star Chris Brown would bring Karrueche to world-wide attention in the early part of the decade, with subsequent relationships doing little to dampen the keen public interest in her activities. If your appetite to learn more about the up-and-coming star has been whetted, read on.
1. She’s a multi award winner
Despite being only 30 years old, Karrueche has created an impressive body of work… and has been duly recognized for her endeavors. Karrueche began racking up the awards in 2016, when she won a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series for her work on The Bay. That same year, she won the category of Best Short, New Media at the Burbank International Film Festival (also for The Bay) and an award for Best Online Soap at the Hollyweb Festival. The following year saw her claim another Daytime Emmy for The Bay, along with a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Indie Series Awards.
2. She’s a Christian
December 8, 2014 pic.twitter.com/aZrd78VXeC
— Karrueche Tran (@karrueche) December 8, 2014
It might be hard to maintain the faith in the entertainment industry, but Karrueche is doing her best to succeed. The devout Christian opened up about her faith during her very public break up from ex Chris Brown, taking to Twitter to share a little prayer. “Father, thank You for preparing a place of blessing for me. I choose to trust You and Your timing, knowing that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf in Jesus’ name! Amen,” she tweeted.
3. She tried to keep things cordial with Chris Brown
After several months of dating, Karrueche cast Brown to the curb after photographs emerged of him cuddling up to former flame, Rihanna. After Rihanna called it quits on the troubled rapper for good, Brown returned to the arms of the forgiving Karrueche. The re-kindled lovers seemed all set to make the course, until news broke in March 2015 that Brown had fathered a daughter, Royalty, with Nia Gizman. Karrueche called it a day on the relationship, but despite being the injured party, seemed determined to keep things amicable, telling E! that if she happened to run into her ex, she would “definitely keep it cordial and positive, no drama. I’m not about the drama.”
4. She has a restraining order against Chris Brown
Not all relationships end with a happily ever- after, but not many end with a restraining order… but then again, not many relationships endure the ups-and downs of Karrueche’s entanglement with rapper Chris Brown. Despite trying to keep thing cordial, Karrueche’s patience reached its limit after Brown’s repeated harassment forced her to file for a restraining order. As reported by TMZ, Karrueche took to court to testify against Brown’s abusive behavior after receiving increasingly aggressive text messages threatening violence and worse. After hearing Karrueche’s account of the domestic abuse she suffered at Brown’s hand during their relationship, the judge granted a 5-year restraining order against the singer.
5. She was a Personal Shopper
Prior to getting her start in entertainment, Karrueche was a personal shopper, offering helpful hints and styling advice to the fashion-conscious residents of Los Angeles. After working at Nordstrom from 2010- 2012, Karrueche branched out as a freelance celebrity stylist to the Hollywood glitterati, developing her own clothing line “The Kill” in the process. The company, which was a joint venture with ex Chris Brown, was originally conceived as the female counterpart to Brown’s line of men’s attire, but soon extended to include unisex t-shirts, hats, beanies and socks alongside its core women’s wear staples.
6. She modeled for Lady Crooks
In 2013, Karrueche landed her biggest modeling gig to date when she became the face of street-wear brand Crooks and Castles’ women’s division Lady Crooks. The aspiring model has since appeared on the covers of several publications, including Vibe, Rolling Out, and Annex, and starred in two feature stories on Elle.com. In 2015, she advanced her modelling career further when she signed to Wilhelmina Models LA, shortly before appearing in the spring/ summer lookbook for Le Coq Sportif.
7. Her film debut was in 3-Headed Shark Attack
After several years as a fashionista, Karrueche’s career took on a new direction when she won a role in her first feature film, 3-Headed Shark Attack. The film, directed by Christopher Ray, told the story of a group of ship passengers under attack from a mutated, three- headed, giant white shark. Joining Karrueche on the cast were ex-Baywatch star Jason Simmons, professional wrestler Rob Van Dam and bad-boy Danny Trejo. The straight-to-video release was panned by critics, but somehow managed 2 sequels regardless: 5- Headed Shark Attack in 2017, and 6- Headed Shark Attack in 2018.
8. She was in a fashion web series
Karrueche followed up her appearance in 3- Headed Shark Attack with a role in the StyleHaul fashion web series, Vanity. The series, which was sponsored by cosmetics manufacturer Maybelline, starred Alex Frnka as a college student investigating the death of a famous fashion designer (played by Charlie Sheen’s ex, Denise Richards) alongside the designer’s former business partner Vanessa Ivy (played by Karrueche).
9. She’s hosted red carpet events
Outside of her work as a model and actress, Karrueche has acquired a reputation for her hosting skills. After co-hosting the BET hip-hop and R&B music video show 106 & Park, Karrueche won the chance to present at the 2014 BET Awards- she subsequently went on to host several events at the weekend- long ceremony, including the prestigious red carpet. Karrueche has since hosted numerous high-end events, including the Golden Globes Red Carpet in 2017, where she was joined by co-hosts Kris Jenner, Kristin Cavallari, Ross Mathews and Brad Goreski for the pre- and post- show coverage.
10. Her breakthrough TV role was on The Bay
In 2014, Karrueche joined the cast of hit web series The Bay. Karrueche’s casting completed the show’s already impressive lineup of daytime stars as Mary Beth Evans (Days of Our Lives), Ronn Moss (The Bold and The Beautiful), Tristan Rogers (The Young & the Restless), and Jackie Zeman (General Hospital). Bay’s creator Gregori Martin was clearly thrilled with the new addition, saying: “We’re thrilled to have Karrueche join the cast in a pivotal role. Her character will complicate the lives of the loved ones she left behind.” Karrueche would serve 2 years as Vivian Johnson on the award-winning show, before departing for pastures new in 2016.
11. She was suspended by BET
As reported by the Daily Mail, Karrueche was briefly suspended by BET after an ill-judged joke about Beyoncé and J-Z’s daughter, Blue Ivy. During a segment on the toddler’s hair at the 2014 MTV’s Video Music Awards, Karrueche quipped ‘I really did wake up like this, because my parents never comb my hair”. The mean-spirited remark led to an instant backlash against the host, with Beyoncé fans taking to social media in their droves to voice their disgust. Despite attempting to defend herself with the Tweet: ‘Now y’all know I LOVE me some Beyoncé and Blue Ivy! I didn’t write this script y’all lol’, BET wasn’t impressed- after issuing a statement of apology to Beyoncé and J-Z (and stressing that “punitive” action would be taken), the network temporarily relived Karrueche of her hosting duties.
12. She’s not a fan of Iyanla Vanzant
In 2015, Karrueche hit the headlines after an interview with Iyanla Vanzant went dramatically off- course. The interview turned into a car crash when Vanzant began pressing the star on her past relationship with Chris Brown. After asking Karrueche whether she hooked up with Brown because of his fame, Vanzant continued to press the reticent Karrueche on why she would date a known domestic abuser, and what incited her to take him back after he cheated on her. As tensions began to escalate, Karrueche’s manager decided to call a premature end to the interview by expelling Vanzant and her crew from the house. Fortunately, Karrueche eventually calmed down and Vanzant was allowed to complete the interview.
13. She has a collection of tattoos
Karrueche is clearly a fan of body art. Over the years, the up-and-coming star has acquired a neat little collection of tattoos. For her inner wrist, Karrueche opted for an inspirational quote from Mahatma Ghandi that reads “Where there is love, there is life.” Next up is the Arabic lettering down her spine, which, roughly translated, reads “an ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.” For her right leg, Karrueche decided on a zipper that runs from the top of her upper thigh all the way down to her ankle. She also has a Chinese dragon on her hand, a red rose on her ribcage, and an inscription on her lower right arm that reads “The Past Is Practice.”
14. She’s quirky
Karrueche may seem the consummate professional on- screen, but off-duty, she has some pretty interesting quirks. First up is her belly button, which she’s revealed is a major source of body insecurity due to its unusual size. In an interview with radio host Big Boy, Karrueche revealed her navel is large enough to hold a quarter… something she was happy enough to demonstrate to the show’s host during the interview. Other novel traits include extreme flexibility (she’s double jointed) and a particular venom towards certain noises:- “the sound of clinking silverware makes me want to scream”, she’s claimed.
15. Tyra Banks is her inspiration
During an interview with Modeliste Magazine, Karrueche cited Tyra Banks as a major inspiration … and its easy to see how the older model helped shape the aspirations of the young Karrueche, with both sharing almost identical career paths in fashion and TV. Another key influence is former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. “(I love) how she’s able to be really versatile in her fashion choices from being on the runway and to being a mom. I also love her fashion line,” Karrueche said.
16. She was rumored to be dating Christina Milian
In March 2018, gossip rag MediaTakeOut sparked rumors that Karrueche was dating close friend Christina Milian. “Karrueche Tran and Christina Milian have been close ‘friends’ now for many years. But there’s something about the way these two act — it makes us think that there’s MORE going on than meets the eye,” the media outlet reported. The rumor was swiftly put to bed by a representative of Karrueche, who flatly commented “It’s B.S.’.
17. She has a bucket list
We all have certain things we want to do before we get kick the bucket, and Karrueche is no different. Top of her to-do list is travelling and reconnecting with her family origins. “I really want to go to Vietnam, where my mother and family is from. I want to take her and my grandparents there because they haven’t been back since they left during the war. And I want to go the Maldives, because it looks absolutely beautiful,” Karrueche told Modeliste Magazine.
18. She’s building a fortune
Since starting her career, Karrueche has built up quite the impressive resume. Her regular hosting gigs, modelling jobs and TV performances have given her a net worth that would be the envy of most 30 years. The rising star is already worth a very respectable $900,000. With more projects in the works, it’s sure to be a fortune that’s going nowhere but up.
19. She’s a social media devotee
Karrueche is keenly aware of the power of social media. She’s not always on the right side of it, but that hasn’t stopped her using the platform to promote her profile. In addition to her Twitter fan-base, Karrueche boasts more than 8 million followers on Instagram and a further 340k+ subscribers on her YouTube channel, which she launched in 2011 as a way of keeping her fans up to date with her latest ventures, makeup tips and workout routines.
20. She dated an NFL star
Less than a year after obtaining a restraining order against Chris Brown, Karrueche’s love life hit the headlines again when she started dating NFL star Victor Cruz. Despite seeming to be deeply in-love, the relationship failed to last the course, with the couple calling it a day in late 2018. The reason? Karrueche’s constant chatter about former lover Brown… at least if inside sources at MediaTakeOut are to be believed.
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