Charlamagne tha God is the professional name of Lenard McKelvey. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 29, 1978. He is a radio presenter and television personality who started his career as an intern at a radio station. He is best-known as one of the presenters of ‘The Breakfast Club’ radio show alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee. He also stars in the television series ‘Guy Code’, ‘Guy Court’, and ‘Girl Code’. He is also known for his former appearances on ‘The Wendy Williams Experience’ on VH1. Here are five more things you might not know about Charlamagne tha God.
1. He Has Spent Time in Prison
As a teenager living in South Carolina, Charlamagne tha God began selling drugs on the streets and this led to him being arrested for possession with intent to distribute on two occasions. When he witnessed a shooting from the back of a car, he was once again arrested. His father was asked for bail, but he refused and this led to Charlamagne tha God spending 41 days in prison. As his father continued to refuse to pay the bail, he rang his mother who paid the bail and he was finally released.
2. He Has Released a Book
Although he is best-known for his radio presenting and television appearances, he has ventured into the world of publishing. He released his book ‘Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create’ was published in 2017. On the New York Times list of best-selling hardback non-fiction, his book was ranked sixth.
3. He Upset the Transgender Community
There have been points in Charlamagne tha God’s career when he has caused controversy. One example of this is when he upset the transgender community in 2017. During an interview on ‘The Breakfast Club’, Lil Duval made a joke about killing a sex partner if he discovered she was a transgender woman. Initially, Charlamagne tha God acknowledged that this would be a hate crime. However, he then went on to argue that if a transgender woman did not reveal their trans status, they were removing the power of choice from the other person. He suggested that this is something for which they should go to jail. His comments led to trans activists demanding the show was boycotted and canceled.
4. He Has Appeared in Wild ‘N’ Out
Between 2009 and the present day, Charlamagne the God has appeared in many television series. One of these is ‘Wild ‘N’ Out’. This is a sketch comedy and improvisation television series that is presented by Nick Cannon and features appearances from up and coming comedy stars. It was initially aired on MTV before switching to MTV2. Charlamagne the God has appeared in three episodes as himself between 2013 and 2015.
5. He is Married to Jessica Gasden
Charlamagne tha God dated Jessica Gadsden for many years before they finally married in September 2014. Gadsden is a personal trainer and fitness instructor who obtained a BA degree from the University of Southern California followed by an MBA from Webster University. The couple have two daughters together.
Follow Us
