Who is Anne de Paula? Everything you need to know about Joel Embiid’s stunning and successful model wife

Philadelphia 76ers standout Joel Embiid is renowned for his skill on the field. Although he didn't begin playing basketball until he was fifteen, his ethics and agility helped him succeed in college and in the NBA. Even though his career has received a lot of attention, he is also fulfilling his role as a husband. He is the husband of a Brazilian model named Anne de Paula.

The couple got married on July 22, 2023, in Southampton, New York, in a lavish wedding. In 2018, the model and the Philadelphia 76ers star met at a dinner in New York City through a mutual friend. They pursued a love relationship after initially being friends and FaceTiming every day for some time. The couple secretly married after dating for a number of years.

Anne de Paula rose from a soccer-loving girl in Brazil to an internationally recognized Sports Illustrated model

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, model Anne de Paula is most recognized for her appearances in Sports Illustrated. De Paula had a strong interest in soccer as a child, but she finally gave it up to focus on modeling.

The model told ESPN in 2021 that their relationship started as a friendship. They first met in 2018 when going to a dinner in New York City with a mutual friend. She was actually unaware that Embiid played basketball until later. She said in a 2018 interview with SI:

"I was a goalkeeper for five or six years. That was everything I wanted to do. I started playing when I was 8, 9 years old… Because I started modeling at 13, I had to stop. How can I have pretty hands and still play soccer? It's been a while since I played. But if I had a couple weeks off, I would start again."




De Paula’s father is a physician, while her mother works as an X-ray technician. She believed she would follow them into the medical industry until her modeling career took off. Additionally, this NBA wife speaks Portuguese, French, and English.

She also enjoys cooking and is a Muay Thai practitioner. According to De Paula, who played soccer as a child and as a goalie for roughly six years, the game was "everything I wanted to do." She still has a "very passionate" interest in the sport.

After winning the public vote in the 2017 model hunt, she made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2018 and became a SI Swimsuit rookie. She filmed in Anguilla, Nevis, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic for the four appearances in the yearly issue.

Inside Joel Embiid and Anne de Paula’s heartwarming love story and family life

The relationship between Joel Embiid and Anne de Paula started in 2018 when they crossed paths in New York City. De Paula told ESPN:

"It started off as a beautiful friendship.. We FaceTimed every day for a while… He just has this personality where he wants to motivate you. His friends, his family and now with Arthur—he pushes all of us to be the best of ourselves."

After dating for years, they finally got married 2.5 years ago. Before going to the location of their reception, the couple exchanged vows in a chapel. Meek Mill and Brian McKnight performed that evening, and the bride changed into two different outfits. They also have a son together, Arthur Elijah, who was born in September 2020. Now, they are a happy family of 3.


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