The NBA star Joel Embiid and the model Anne De Paula exchanged vows in a church ceremony followed by a reception on Cryder Beach in New York
Joel Embiid is officially a husband, The Philadelphia 76ers star tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Sports Illustrated model Anne de Paula, in a beachside ceremony in Southampton, New York on Saturday.
The newlyweds, who are parents to son Arthur, 2, posed for pictures on Cryder Beach and exchanged vows in a church ceremony. Embiid, 29, wore a white tuxedo and bow tie for the couple’s big day, while de Paula, 28, stunned in a white dress and veil, and carried a bouquet of white roses.
Embiid and de Paula’s relationship first began as a “Beautiful friendship.” In ESPN’S May cover story in 2021, the pro athlete opened up about his basketball career and his relationship with the model.
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The duo was brought together by a mutual friend at a 2018 dinner in New York City. De Paula said she didn’t realize Embiid was a basketball player, and they hardly spoke to each other. However, they later connected because they had a lot in common and they both loved soccer, spoke French, and had hopes of starting a family one day.
“We FaceTimed every day for a while,” she told the outlet. “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,” she added. “That’s the type of person you want to have around.”
De Paula who is originally from Brazil told Maxim Magazine in 2019 that it’s “not easy” to catch her attention because she was “never looking for anything,” but that Embiid caught her eye by “just being himself.”
As their romance blossomed, the NBA All-star shared a message on Instagram in honor of Valentine’s Day 2019 alongside a snap of the pair in matching white hoodies that read “lovers” in red down the left sleeve.
“Thank you for dealing with my African crazy a$$ and allowing me to be ME,” he wrote. “I’ve trusted your process, you’ve trusted mine and it brought us to where we are.”
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They became parents for the first time in September 2020, when their son Arthur was born. Embiid shared photos of his family on Instagram, expressing his love for his girlfriend and his desire to have more children in the future.
“We are so blessed and fortunate to welcome our little boy in this family,” he captioned the post. “First of 11 or more? Trying to convince her but I’m not winning so far. I’m just trying to build a soccer team but for real I’m so excited for the future and my life has a new meaning. Kudos to @annedepaula_ for being so strong and giving me the Greatest Gift our life can offer.”
Photo Credit: Getty