Gizelle Bryant
Gizelle Bryant
Gizelle Bryant (born September 9, 1970) is an American reality television personality who appears on the Real Housewives of Potomac. [1]
Education
She graduated from Hampton University. [1]
Personal Life
Gizelle Bryant pictured on her Instagram with her daughters
Gizelle comes from a legacy of civil rights workers.
Gizelle's father, Curtis Graves, worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil rights Movement.[9]
Bryant married to megachurch pastor/activist Jamal Harrison Bryant in 2002, but they divorced after 7 years due to Jamal's reported infidelity.[11]
Gizelle first met Jamal when the couple was working together on the front lines of civil rights and social justice at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's national headquarters. In an interview with The Daily Dish Bryant said:
"It was one of my first jobs out of school.
I was hired by Kweisi Mfume, who is now back in Congress; he took Elijah Cummings’ seat.
And he also hired Jamal.
So, Jamal and I have been in the trenches of trying to do civil rights and trying to make sure that we leave this world a better place."[9]
Jamal and Gizelle have three daughters, Grace, Angel, and Adore.
She is good friends with Thicker Than Water star Britney Tankard. [1]
Gizelle confirmed she is dating Jamal again during the Real Housewives of Potomac season 4 reunion. "You know, I look back, and I just feel like nobody is what their mistakes are. And I feel like he’s a different person, I’m a different person. So we are baby-stepping, but we are moving into the direction that we want to move into," she said.[9] In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Gizelle said her daughters are still getting adjusted to her romance with Jamal:
"They’ve never known us to be together because when we got divorced they were babies so this is new and I get it,” she says.
“It’s one day at a time.
Their dad is their dad and that’s really what matters and that’s what really is important…They’re very protective of their mom, as they should be."[9]
Gizelle and her daughters stay in Potomac while Jamal is in Atlanta. Bryant said in an interview:
"No [plans to move in together] only because my kids are now in high school.
I have three kids in high school.
And I don't want to change that situation.
High school is kind of important.
So, no. But we do see each other a lot.
And, you know, let's be clear.
At the end of day, Gizelle kind of likes her freedom and her independence.
I like to see you when I want to see you.
And when I don't want to see you, I don't want to see you.
So it's perfect."[10]
When she was asked if she would marry Jamal again, Gizelle said:
Career
Gizella Bryant pictured on her Instagram
Gizelle works on charity projects for the city of Birmingham, Alabama. She sold her own line of baked goods in Top Chef contestant Timothy Dean's restaurant. [1]
Gizelle announced the release of her first book, My Word, on February 7, 2019.
The novel was officially released on April 30.
She couldn't contain her excitement when sharing the happy news with the world on Instagram.
"I’m SCREAMING!
My book MY WORD is here!" Gizelle gushed.
"This book is loosely based on my dramatic, happy, fun, sad, crazy life.
It is a GREAT READ!"[24]
Real Houseviwes of Potomac
Bryant is a part of a cast of five seasons The Real Housewives of Potomac (abbreviated RHOP), an American reality television series that premiered on January 17, 2016, on Bravo. Her tagline was "Word on the street is, I'm still the word on the street".
In the first episode of season 1, Karen Huger schooled Gizelle on the do's and don'ts of attending a birthday party. "You're not the honoree. I'm the birthday girl. You were in the center of my table, sitting there like, 'OK, it's my birhtday!'" Karen pointed out to Gizelle. Karen also gave her "a lovely gift" of the five rules of etiquette when attending a birthday party, framed.[14] "It's... gone," Gizelle told Andy Cohen about what she did with the gift during one of the episodes of Watch What Happens: Live.[15] In one of the episodes of season 1, Gizelle Bryant even revealed a brand-new business venture: a mineral makeup line designed for women of color. "It's very difficult for women of color to find tinted moisturizers and/or foundations that match their skin tone. And if they do find it, then it's ashy, then it doesn't have the ingredients in it that aren't irritating to your skin," Gizelle told The Daily Dish. "I'm trying to alleviate all of that. I want everyone to look beautiful when they wake up in the morning."[16]
In this season, Gizelle also lost her friendship with Charrisse Jackson-Jordan and held a model search to find the 12 faces that were going to help bring her cosmetics, Every Hue Beauty to the masses.[18] Gizelle broke with Charisse after alleging that she and her husband Eddie Jordan had both been unfaithful while they were still married on Watch What Happens: Live with Andy Cohen i n April 2016.[19]
In April 2016, The Real Housewives of Potomac was renewed for season 2.[17] In this season, Gizelle was going on date nights, one of which was with her good friend, Kevin. "Kevin is somebody I've known for about 15 years, and he and I have been very good friends. And all up until recently, we both had been seeing other people," Gizelle told The Daily Dish. "So we're now both single, ready to mingle."[20] In addition, she restored her friendship with Charisse.[21] Bryant and new hpusewife to the show, Monique Samuels could not get along.[22] Gizelle Bryant's new boyrfriend Sherman Douglas made his debut on The Real Housewives of Potomac at the reunion.[23]
During season 3, Bryant was getting ready to release her first book and moved in her brand new house.[26]
The RHOP returnedin May 2019 for season 4.[25] Bryant's new tagline was "I'm the baddest thing walkin' and the smartest one talkin'."[27] In this season. Gizelle rekindled her relationship with ex-husband Jamal Harrison Bryant, but their daughters were not immediatelyhappy with their parents getting back together.[28]
The RHOP returned for season 5 in summer 2020.