Selita Ebanks
Ebanks in 2009
Born (1983-02-17) 17 February 1983
George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Years active2001–2012[1]
Modeling information
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)[2][3]
Hair colorBrown[2]
Eye colorBrown[2]
Agency
  • Elite Model Management (Amsterdam)
  • Traffic Models (Barcelona)
  • Place Models (Hamburg)
  • Two Management (Los Angeles)
  • MP MEGA MIAMI (Miami Beach)[4]

Selita Ebanks (born 17 February 1983) is a Caymanian model.[5] She has worked for high fashion brands Neiman Marcus and Ralph Lauren, and appeared in magazines such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Vogue, and Glamour, but she is best known for her work with Victoria's Secret, as one of the brand's "Angels" from 2005 to 2010.[5]

Early life

Born to a Jamaican father and a Caymanian mother[6] in George Town, Grand Cayman,[7] Ebanks was raised in a large family that included seven brothers. Her family, her mother in particular, encouraged her development through extracurricular programs. She moved to the United States and settled in Staten Island, where she graduated from Curtis High School. She was accepted to attend undergraduate studies at Columbia University and New York University, but instead chose to pursue modeling.[5] In 2000,[8] at the age of 17,[5] while walking through the turnstiles at Six Flags Great Adventure, Ebanks was scouted by an agent from Elite Model Management.[9]

Career

Modelling

Ebanks made her debut in February 2001 at the fall show for Tuleh, and has walked the runway for designers including Betsey Johnson, Catherine Malandrino, Pamella Roland and Tommy Hilfiger. She has appeared in campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger and DKNY, and signed a contract with Victoria's Secret in 2005.[8]

Ebanks first modeled for Victoria's Secret for their Ipex Bra line, before being signed as an Angel.[10] She and Izabel Goulart made their major débuts in the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show,[10] working as an Angel until 2008. In 2005, Tyra Banks said she was proud of Ebanks to be representing black women at Victoria's Secret.[11]

In 2007, Ebanks was selected to wear the "Very Sexy" Holiday Fantasy Bra Set with a price tag of $4,500,000 that contains diamonds, emeralds, rubies and yellow sapphires—which she wore in the Victoria's Secret "Christmas Dreams and Fantasies 2007" catalogue. She also wore the fantasy bra set during the Victoria's Secret fashion show on 4 December 2007.

Ebanks made a special guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother (episode: "The Yips") on 26 November 2007 with her fellow Victoria's Secret supermodels (Miranda Kerr, Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Marisa Miller, and Alessandra Ambrosio).

According to Forbes, Ebanks was the twelfth highest paid model of 2008, earning an estimated $2.7 million.

Ebanks has graced the covers of Maxim, British GQ and Russian FHM and appeared in editorials for Marie Claire, Glamour, V, German and Italian Elle, Vanidades and Sports Illustrated's 2007 Swimsuit Issue.[9]

Other ventures

Ebanks appeared on the third season of Celebrity Apprentice, but was fired in week 5 on 11 April 2010, placing 9th.[12] Previously, she recorded music[5] and appeared on the UPN-series South Beach.

She is featured in The-Dream's music video for the single "Make Up Bag",[13] as well as Kanye West's 2010 short film Runaway, playing a fallen phoenix with whom West's character falls in love. She is now a reoccurring character in BET's Husband's of Hollywood where she plays the love interest of comedian Kevin Hart. Ebanks also appeared in a commercial for State Farm Insurance alongside actor/model Mehcad Brooks.[14]

Ebanks also has her own line of swimwear, accessories and shoes called Sass which stands for Selita's Accessories Shoes and Swimwear. The line was seen on the BET Rip The Runway 2012 which she hosted alongside Pooch Hall.

Selita Ebanks was to star in the ABC Family (now Freeform) TV series called "Nicki" based on the life of music sensation Nicki Minaj alongside Ariana Neal, Wesley Jonathan and McCarrie McCausland. Whoopi Goldberg and J.B. Smoove as guest star. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, Freeform has cancelled their series. Ebanks was to play Grace, Nicki's mother. Production began in January 2016.[15] In October 2016, Minaj stated the filming was postponed.[16]

Selita Ebanks was in MTV's Champs vs. Stars in 2018.[17]

Personal life

Ebanks was engaged to comedian Nick Cannon for five months.[18]

She dated Terrence J from 2011 to 2013.[19]

Philanthropy

Ebanks has run her own talent school, "Stardom Youth Foundation" since 2004[8] in her hometown Cayman Islands, providing career guidance for teenagers.[6]

She also formed a charity organization, "Women’s Coalition for Empowerment and Opportunity", after a trip to Sierra Leone in 2008. The organization helps to support women's educational and professional programs in the civil war-torn African nation.[6]

Ebanks joined the Cash&Rocket tour in 2013[20] and 2014[21] raising more than $1 million for women and children all over the world.[22]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2018 The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars (season 3) Herself
2017 Uncorked Herself
2017 Hip Hop Squares Herself 2 episodes
2014 Catfish: The TV Show Herself 1 episode
2013 Real Husbands of Hollywood Herself 7 episodes
2011 Hawaii Five-0 Lisa Cole 1 episode
2010 Runaway (2010 film) Phoenix
2010 The Apprentice (U.S. season 9) Herself 5 episodes
2007 How I Met Your Mother Herself

References

  1. ↑ "Victoria's Secret Model Selita Ebanks Retires". 29 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Selita Ebanks - Fashion Model". The Fashion Model Directory.
  3. ↑ "Selita Ebanks | Actress, Producer". IMDb.
  4. ↑ "Selita Ebanks - Model".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Selita Ebanks" AskMen.
  6. 1 2 3 "Selita Ebanks Beautiful From the Inside Out" Archived 31 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine, 10 August 2010, The Boulevard Magazine.
  7. ↑ "Selita Ebanks" Fashion Model Directory.
  8. 1 2 3 "Selita Ebanks" New York Magazine.
  9. 1 2 "2007 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Bio - Selita Ebanks", 2007, Sports Illustrated.
  10. 1 2 "Selita Ebanks Earns Her Wings as Victoria’s Secret’s Newest Earthbound Angel".pr.com, Retrieved on 8 June 2007.
  11. ↑ "Tyra's Last Walk". The Tyra Banks Show. 5 July 2006. Archived from the original on 9 July 2006. Retrieved 8 June 2007.
  12. ↑ NY Daily News. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  13. ↑ "The-Dream - Make Up Bag ft. T.I." YouTube. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "Mehcad Brooks, Selita Ebanks star in State Farm ad". USA Today. 23 November 2010.
  15. ↑ "Breaking News - Production Begins on Freeform's New Scripted Comedy "Nicki" | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "Nicki Minaj's ABC Show Postponed". Pitchfork. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  17. ↑ Longeretta, Emily (30 March 2018). "Watch the First Promo for MTV's 'The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars'". Us Weekly. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "Nick Cannon, Selita Ebanks Split Up" Archived 11 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, 3 October 2007, People.
  19. ↑ "Selita Ebanks Reveals Why She Parted Ways With Exes Terrence J & Nick Cannon". HelloBeautiful. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  20. ↑ "CASH & ROCKET 2013 | Valentino". Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  21. ↑ Kilcooley-O'Halloran, Scarlett (28 May 2014). "Cash & Rocket's Fashion Road Trip". British Vogue. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  22. ↑ "Cash & Rocket". Vanity Fair Videos. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
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