“You and me forever.” With Joel Embiid tying the knot with long-time girlfriend Anne De Paula last summer, the Brazilian model shared this wholesome message to kickstart their happily ever after. A love story that began six years ago at a random dinner party continues to go strong even to this day. While Jo Jo has risen to superstardom in recent years because of his dominant performance on the court, his wife is also no stranger to the spotlight.

But who is she and how did her romance with the Sixers star begin? Surely, many of you will have this question in mind. So, here’s the answer.

Anne De Paula: From soccer fandom to Sports Illustrated model

While Embiid was still a toddler living in his home country of Cameroon, his future life partner Anne took her first breath in Brazil’s Rio De Janeiro on March 31, 1995. Born into a family of medical professionals with her father, a doctor, and her mother, an X-ray technician, she initially thought of following in her parents’ footsteps. But soon enough, she got hooked to Brazil’s fandom for soccer and began playing the sport at an early age. It was “everything I wanted to do,” she said in a recent interview, revealing that she played as a goalie for several years.

However, as Anne entered her teenage years, her mother convinced her to give modelling a legitimate shot. Although it was not her first love, she soon got signed by a modelling agency when she was only 14. Soon after, her career took off as she became Miss Grand International Brazil a decade ago. With offers piling up after the win, Anne made her Sports Illustrated swimsuit modelling debut three years later, and even bagged the SI Swimsuit rookie honors. Since then, she has starred in the company’s swimsuit edition on multiple occasions. On top of that, the Brazilian model has also worked with well renowned brands including L’Oreal Paris.

Although she is a well-known figure in the modelling industry, Anne still has the same passion for her first love, soccer, “It’s been a while [since] I’ve played because you have to keep your nails looking nice for this job. But if I had some free time, I would definitely go back to Brazil and play.” If these accolades were not enough, she can also fluently speak multiple languages, including English, French and Portuguese. Although she has a busy schedule balancing her work and marriage, she continuously trains in Muay Thai, a discipline she has been following since she was a teenager. So, how did a soccer fan cross paths with a basketball superstar?

How Anne De Paula met Joel Embiid and started a family together

While they come from two different worlds, it seems like their destiny was always to cross paths. With Joel leaving his home country to follow a career in basketball and Anne leaving Brazil to do the same in modelling, the two met through a mutual friend at a dinner party in New York six years ago. Instantly hitting it off, Embiid and Anne initially became good friends and frequently began connecting over Facetime. Sure enough, one thing led to another and they got into a romantic relationship soon after their first meeting.

Although Anne claimed that she was not looking for anything while she was single, Joel’s unique personality immediately caught her attention. “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. That’s the type of person you want to have around.” She remarked in an interview three years ago. With their relationship public, the couple welcomed their first child, Arthur Elijah, in September 2020. “We are so blessed and fortunate to welcome our little boy in this family.” The Sixers star wrote as he made the announcement on social media. Moreover, Jo Jo wants an even bigger family with the Brazilian model, “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.”

While the couple has not welcomed another child since then, they did take a huge step in their relationship last year. Yes, three years after the birth of Arthur, Joel and Anne tied the knot last July in a beautiful ceremony in Southampton, New York. And their love continues to grow stronger with each passing day. Long before the two got married, Joel expressed through a post on Valentine’s Day how much he adores his life partner, “Thank you for dealing with my African crazy a** and allowing me to be ME. I’ve trusted your process, you’ve trusted mine and it brought us to where we are. #Lovers ❤️❤️❤️❤️” A beautiful relationship indeed. Do you agree?