Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and Anne de Paula’s story started with a dinner in New York City in 2018, where a mutual friend brought them together. Romance wasn’t immediate. They became friends first, spending hours on FaceTime and getting to know each other before things took a turn toward love. Sometimes the best relationships start without anybody trying too hard.
Their son, Arthur Elijah, arrived in September 2020, and the couple married on July 22, 2023, in Southampton, New York. The wedding marked another milestone for a pair whose relationship had grown from those early conversations into a life together.
Joel Embiid and Wife Anne de Paula Built Their Relationship on Trust
“He just has this personality where he wants to motivate you,” de Paula told ESPN in 2021 about Embiid. “His friends, his family and now with Arthur – he pushes all of us to be the best of ourselves. That’s the type of person you want to have around.”
“Thank you for dealing with my African crazy … and allowing me to be ME,” Embiid wrote on Instagram. “I’ve trusted your process, you’ve trusted mine and it brought us to where we are.”
Born in Rio de Janeiro on March 31, 1995, Anne de Paula didn’t always picture herself working in front of a camera. Before modeling became her career, she imagined going into medicine and following a very different professional path because her parents worked in the medical field.
76ers Star Joel Embiid’s Wife Made Her Mark as a Model in 2018
Her breakthrough came through the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model search in 2017, when lots of fans voted her the winner. That recognition paved the way for her official rookie appearance in the 2018 issue. De Paula went on to appear in the magazine four times, traveling to stunning locations, including Anguilla, Nevis, Kenya and the Dominican Republic, for her shoots.
During her 2019 photo shoot in Kenya, she was even photographed near a lion. “What a crazy/scary/amazing experience,” she stated on Instagram. “I was freaking out inside, even tho it took @yutsai88 2min to make this picture happen.”
The couple became parents on September 17, 2020, when de Paula welcomed their son, Arthur Elijah de Paula Embiid. His name carries a deeply personal meaning for Embiid, honoring his younger brother, Arthur, who died in a car accident in Cameroon in 2014 at age 13.
So, when you watch Embiid with the 76ers this season, you’ll now know a little more about his personal life and the love of his life.
