Kenya Moore

Biography

Kenya Summer Moore (born January 24, 1971) is an American actress, television personality, author, entrepreneur, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1993, however, likely better known for starring on The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2012–2025). As an actress, she's appeared in films and television shows including; Waiting to Exhale (1995), Senseless (1998), The Parent 'Hood (1998–1999), In the House (1999), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Girlfriends (2004), I Know Who Killed Me (2007).

== Early life and education == Moore was born on January 24, 1971 in Detroit, Michigan to teenagers Patricia Moore and Ronald Grant and raised by her paternal grandmother Doris Grant(1931–2017) and aunt after her mother abandoned her three days after her birth. The reality-TV-show star revealed that her mother never named her. "Since birth, my mother made the decision at age 16 to pretend she never had me. She has never spoken to me," Kenya wrote. "Even if present in the same room with other people and family, she pretends that I simply don't exist. She pretends I'm invisible," Kenya revealed on her Bravo blog. Moore graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1989. While still in high school, Moore experienced domestic violence from a much older boyfriend. In Moore's words, "He tormented me physically, mentally and once even nearly killed me by putting me into the hospital, from attacking me with a finger nail file… stabbing me with a finger nail file." Moore attended Wayne State University, where she majored in psychology and minored in communication.

== Career ==

=== Modeling and pageants === Moore began modeling at the age of 14, and was the January 1992 cover girl for Ebony Man magazine. She also modeled for the Ebony Fashion Fair cosmetic line. Moore has also appeared on the covers of Glamour, Seventeen, Ebony, and Essence magazines. At 22, Moore won Miss Michigan USA 1993 and then became the second African American woman to win Miss USA. She then represented the United States at Miss Universe 1993, and reached the top six. Her national costume was the Statue of Liberty.

=== Entertainment ===

==== Acting ==== Moore has appeared in TV shows including: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Meet the Browns, Homeboys in Outer Space, Sparks, Smart Guy, Video Soul, Living Single, Damon, In the House, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Parent 'Hood, The Steve Harvey Show, Martin, Nubian Goddess, Men, Women & Dogs, The Parkers, Under One Roof, and Girlfriends she has appeared in the music videos for Jermaine Dupri's "Money Ain't a Thang" (1998), Nas's "Street Dreams" (1996), Shai's "I Don't Wanna Be Alone" (1996), and Tupac's "Temptations". Additionally, Moore has appeared in several films: Waiting to Exhale (1995), Senseless (1998), Trois (2000), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Brothers in Arms (2005), Cloud 9 (2006), I Know Who Killed Me (2007), and Trapped: Haitian Nights (2010).

==== Production ==== Moore has also produced and directed various projects and launched her own company, Moore Vision Media in 2008. Moore Vision Media produced the erotic thriller "The Confidant". Moore is credited as producer/director of the film Trapped: Haitian Nights. After the project lost its director, Moore took over the production and completed the film. When the film failed to find distribution, Moore founded Moore Vision Media, an independent movie production and home-video distribution company. The company's first production was The Confidant, released by Universal Vivendi on August 24, 2010.

==== Reality television ==== In May 2012, Moore joined the season five cast of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta. In 2015, Moore was cast on The Celebrity Apprentice 7. Moore starred in The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, a spin-off featuring various women from The Real Housewives franchise, that premiered on Peacock in November 2021. In September 2021, Moore was announced as one of the celebrities competing on season 30 of Dancing with the Stars. She and her professional dance partner, Brandon Armstrong, were the sixth couple to be eliminated, ultimately finishing in 10th place. In 2023, she placed 7th in the Fox reality competition series, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. In June 2024, it was reported that Moore would be exiting The Real Housewives of Atlanta following her suspension during the production of the sixteenth season, due to the allegations of revealing sexually explicit pictures of newcomer Brittany Eady.