View source for La La Anthony

{{short description|American television personality}}
{{pp-blp|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| image              = File:La La Anthony.jpg
| caption            = Anthony in 2025
| name               = La La Anthony
| birth_name         = Alani Nicole Vázquez
| birth_date         = June 25, 1982
| birth_place        = [[New York City]], U.S.
| other_names        = 
| occupation         = Television personality, actress
| years_active       = 1996–present
| television         = 
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Carmelo Anthony]]|2010|2021|end=div}}
| children           = [[Kiyan Anthony]]
}}

'''Alani Nicole''' "'''La La'''" '''Anthony''' ([[Married and maiden names|née]] '''Vázquez'''; born June 25, 1982) is an American television personality and actress. In the early 2000s, she worked as an [[MTV]] [[VJ (media personality)|VJ]] on ''[[Total Request Live]]''. She was the host of the [[VH1]] reality television reunion shows ''[[Flavor of Love]]'', ''[[I Love New York (TV series)|I Love New York]]'', ''[[For the Love of Ray J]]'', and ''[[Real Chance of Love]]'', and was a dean on ''[[Charm School with Ricki Lake]]''.

Anthony appeared in ''[[Two Can Play That Game (film)|Two Can Play That Game]]'' (2001), ''[[You Got Served]]'' (2004), ''[[Think Like a Man]]'' (2012), ''[[Think Like a Man Too]]'' (2014), ''November Rule'' (2015) and ''Destined'' (2015). She appeared as Lakeisha Grant in the [[Starz]] original drama series ''[[Power (TV series)|Power]]''. She hosted the American reality television series ''[[La La's Full Court Wedding]]'' and ''[[La La's Full Court Life]]''. She was married to [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] player [[Carmelo Anthony]] from 2010 to 2021.

==Early life==
Anthony was born in [[Brooklyn]], New York. Her parents, who are of Puerto Rican heritage, were born and raised in New York City. Anthony (who describes herself as an [[African immigration to Puerto Rico|Afro-Puerto Rican]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bossip.com/318524/exclusive-lala-vazquez-settles-controversy-is-she-black-or-latino-v69691/|title=*Exclusive Updated* La La Vazquez Settles Controversy "Is She Black Or Latina?"|date=December 13, 2010|website=bossip.com|access-date=June 2, 2017}}</ref>) has a younger brother and two younger sisters. As a young child, she was involved in many activities, but music was her main interest.<ref name="MTV">{{cite web|url= http://www.mtv.com/onair/meet_the_vjs/vjs.jhtml?vj=La%20La|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040803110407/http://www.mtv.com/onair/meet_the_vjs/vjs.jhtml?vj=La%20La|url-status= dead|archive-date= August 3, 2004|title = Meet the VJs: La La|publisher = VH1|access-date = May 5, 2009}}</ref> She attended [[Howard University]] for three months.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/la-la-anthony-25-things-you-didnt-know-about-me-w490593/|title=La La Anthony: 25 Things You Didn't Know About Me (I'm Obsessed With White Castle)|work=[[Us Weekly]]|date=July 2, 2017|access-date=May 6, 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
Anthony started working in radio at [[WHTA-FM]], HOT 97.5 in [[Atlanta|Georgia]]. After a short internship at that station she hosted Future Flavas, alongside rapper/actor [[Ludacris]].

Anthony worked at Los Angeles's [[KRRL#KKBT 92.3 The Beat|92.3 The Beat]] cohosting ''The B-Syde''. She left the station in 2001 and moved to [[MTV]] where she cohosted ''[[Sucker Free#History|Direct Effect]]'' and ''[[Total Request Live]]''.

In 2003, Anthony left MTV. She worked as a producer on [[Mike Tyson]]’s documentary, ''[[Tyson (2008 film)|Tyson]]'', which won the Regard Knockout Award in France and was included in the 2009 [[Cannes Film Festival]]. Anthony also produced a feature film with director/producer [[Brett Ratner]].

Anthony appeared in films ''[[Two Can Play That Game (film)|Two Can Play That Game]],'' ''[[Think Like a Man]]'', ''[[Baggage Claim (film)|Baggage Claim]]'' and television shows "[[NYC 22]]" and  ''[[Single Ladies (TV series)|Single Ladies]]''. Other film credits include ''Urban Massacre'' (2002), ''[[Monster Island (2004 film)|Monster Island]]'' (2004), and ''[[You Got Served]]'' (2004).

In October 2011, Anthony appeared in the [[off-Broadway]] production of ''[[Love, Loss, and What I Wore#Off-Broadway|Love Loss and What I Wore]]''. Anthony appeared in and executive produced ''[[La La's Full Court Wedding]]'', which chronicled the time leading up to her wedding to [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] star [[Carmelo Anthony]].

On February 2, 2012, she launched a cosmetic line<ref>{{cite web|title=La La Anthony Launches Makeup Line, Continues to Be Completely Flawless|url=http://www.glamour.com/beauty/blogs/girls-in-the-beauty-department/2012/02/lala-vasquez-to-launch-makeup.html|work=Glamour|access-date=July 7, 2013|date=February 1, 2012}}</ref> and in 2013 a clothing line.<ref>{{cite web |title=5th & Mercer {{!}} SHOPBOP |url=http://www.shopbop.com/5th-mercer/br/v=1/21624.htm?all |date=22 January 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150122053237/http://www.shopbop.com/5th-mercer/br/v=1/21624.htm?all|archive-date = January 22, 2015}}</ref>  She has written several books. Anthony co-produced the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of [[Danai Gurira]]'s ''[[Eclipsed (play)|Eclipsed]]'' in 2016.

==Personal life==
On Christmas Day 2004, she became engaged to basketball player [[Carmelo Anthony]], whom she met in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=1956414 |publisher= ESPN |access-date = January 2, 2005 |title= Hill collided with cameraman during game|date= December 31, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Look Back At La La And Carmelo Anthony During Happier Times|url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/black-celeb-couples/la-la-carmelo-anthony-photos-divorce/|access-date=August 3, 2021 |website=Essence|date=October 26, 2020 }}</ref> Their son, [[Kiyan Anthony|Kiyan]], was born in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://people.com/celebrity/lala-vazquez-has-a-boy-with-nbas-carmelo-anthony/|title= LaLa Vazquez Has a Boy with NBA's Carmelo Anthony|publisher = People |date= March 7, 2007 |access-date= May 5, 2009 |first= Mary |last= Margaret}}</ref> They were married by [[Michael Eric Dyson]] on July 10, 2010, at [[Cipriani S.A.|Cipriani]]'s in New York.<ref>{{cite web|title=LaLa Vazquez, Carmelo Anthony Say "I Do"|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-style/news/lala-vazquez-carmelo-anthony-say-i-do-2010107|work=Us Weekly|access-date=July 7, 2013|date=July 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=D'Zurilla|first=Christie|title=Carmelo Anthony, Lala Vazquez get married in New York|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/07/carmelo-anthony-lala-vazquez-wedding-married.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 12, 2010 |access-date=July 7, 2013}}</ref> The ceremony was filmed by [[VH1]] and aired as part of a reality series on the couple, titled ''[[La La's Full Court Wedding]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wihlborg|first=Ulrica|title=LaLa Vazquez Weds Carmelo Anthony|url=https://people.com/celebrity/lala-vazquez-weds-carmelo-anthony/|work=People|access-date=July 7, 2013|date=July 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Melo, La La wedding series comes to VH1|url=http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_16113603|work=The Denver Post|access-date=July 7, 2013|date=September 19, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Roberts|first=Fletcher|title=La La Vazquez, the Wife of Carmelo Anthony, Gets VH1 Show|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/la-la-vazquez-the-wife-of-carmelo-anthony-gets-vh1-show/|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=July 7, 2013|date=Feb 24, 2011}}</ref> The couple's life together was also chronicled on their continuation series, ''[[La La's Full Court Life]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zaldivar|first=Gabe|title=Just As We Thought, Melo and LaLa Vazquez Will Get New Series|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/617900-victoria-beckham-derek-jeter-and-wednesdays-br-swagger-buzz/entry/49495-carmelo-anthony-just-as-we-thought-melo-and-lala-vazquez-will-get-new-series|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=July 7, 2013|date=February 23, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413150844/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/617900-victoria-beckham-derek-jeter-and-wednesdays-br-swagger-buzz/entry/49495-carmelo-anthony-just-as-we-thought-melo-and-lala-vazquez-will-get-new-series|archive-date=April 13, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In June 2021, she filed for divorce.<ref>{{cite web | last=Uwumarogie | first=Victoria | title=It's Really Over: La La Anthony Reportedly Files For Divorce From Carmelo Anthony After 11 Years Of Marriage | website=Essence | date=2021-06-17 | url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/black-celeb-couples/lala-anthony-files-divorce-from-carmelo-anthony-after-11-years-marriage-photos/ | access-date=2021-06-18}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Two Can Play That Game (film)|Two Can Play That Game]]''
| DJ
|
|-
| 2002
| ''Urban Massacre''
| Pam Jackson
|
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2004
| ''[[You Got Served]]''
|rowspan="3"| Herself
|
|-
| ''[[Monster Island (2004 film)|Monster Island]]''
|-
| ''[[Soul Plane]]''
|
|-
| 2006
| ''Da Jammies''
| Angelique (voice)
| Video 
|-
| 2009
| ''[[Spring Breakdown]]''
| Celebrity Judge
|
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Gun (2010 film)|Gun]]''
| Mona
|
|-
| 2012
| ''[[Think Like a Man]]''
| Sonia
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2013
| ''[[1982 (2013 film)|1982]]''
| Neecy
|
|-
| ''[[Baggage Claim (film)|Baggage Claim]]''
| Tanya
|
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Think Like a Man Too]]''
| Sonia
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2015
| ''November Rule''
| Stacey
|
|-
| ''[[Chi-Raq]]''
| Hecuba
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Destined (film)|Destined]]''
| Jada
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2017
| ''[[Deuces (film)|Deuces]]''
| Detective Sonya Diaz
|
|-
| ''[[Double Play (film)|Double Play]]''
| Micha
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2018
| ''[[Furlough (film)|Furlough]]''
| Brandy
|
|-
| ''The Separatists''
| CPD Dispatcher (voice)
| Short film
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Holiday Rush]]''
| Paula Williams
|
|-
| 2022
| ''[[9 Bullets]]''
| Tasmin
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2023
| ''[[You People]]''
| Shaela
|
|-
| ''[[The Perfect Find]]''
| Elodie
|
|-
| 2024
| ''The Bad Guardian''
| Janet Timms 
| TV movie
|}

===Television===

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 2000
| ''Wherehouse Live''
|rowspan="5"| Herself
|rowspan="4"| Main host
|-
| 2001
| ''On the Beat''
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2002
| ''[[Sucker Free|Direct Effect]]''
|-
| ''TRL Presents: Christina Stripped in New York City''
|-
| 2002–06
| ''[[Total Request Live]]''
| Recurring host
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2003
| ''[[Sex and the City]]''
| MTV Interviewer
| Episode: "The Post-it Always Sticks Twice"
|-
| ''[[MC Battle]]''
|rowspan="2"| Herself
| Main host
|-
| ''[[The Real World: Paris]]''
| Host; Episode: "French Kissing and Telling, The Real World: Paris Reunion"
|-
|rowspan="5"| 2004
| ''[[One on One (American TV series)|One on One]]''
| Kendra
| Episode: "Phatheadz"
|-
| ''Direct Effect Presents: Straight Up Hip Hop All Week''
|rowspan="11"| Herself
|rowspan="3"| Main host
|-
| ''[[MTV New Year's Eve specials|MTV New Year's Eve Specials 2004]]''
|-
| ''[[MTV New Year's Eve specials|Iced Out New Year's Eve 2005]]''
|-
| ''[[Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno]]''
| Host; Episode: "Montezuma's Revenge: Inside the Inferno Reunion Show"
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes 2]]''
| Host; Episode: "Battle of the Sexes 2: Reunion – Secrets from Elimination Hill"
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Chappelle's Show]]''
| Episode: "Black Howard Dean & Stereotype Pixies"
|-
| 2006–08
| ''[[Flavor of Love]]''
| Main host
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School]]''
| Host; Episode: "Reunion"
|-
| 2007–08
| ''[[I Love New York (TV series)|I Love New York]]''
| Main host
|-
| 2008–09
| ''[[Real Chance of Love]]''
| Main host
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2009
| ''[[Charm School with Ricki Lake]]''
| Main judge
|-
| ''[[CSI: NY]]''
| Lisa Williams
| Episode: "Second Chances"
|-
| 2009–10
| ''[[For the Love of Ray J (season 1)|For the Love of Ray J]]''
|rowspan="6"| Herself
| Main host
|-
| 2010
| ''[[La La's Full Court Wedding]]''
| Main cast
|-
| 2010–11
| ''[[Keeping Up with the Kardashians]]''
| Guest cast: Seasons 5–6
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Arthur Ashe Kids' Day]]''
| Main host
|-
| 2011–14
| ''[[La La's Full Court Life]]''
| Main cast
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2012
| ''[[Project Runway All Stars]]''
| Episode: "An Unconventional Nightmare Before Christmas"
|-
| ''[[Let's Stay Together (TV series)|Let's Stay Together]]''
| Latrice
| Episode: "Fear Factor"
|-
| ''[[NYC 22]]''
| PAA Kelly
| Episode: "Jumpers"
|-
| 2012–14
| ''[[Single Ladies (TV series)|Single Ladies]]''
| Presley Kearse
| Recurring cast: Season 3–4
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2013
| ''[[Real Husbands of Hollywood]]''
|rowspan="2"| Herself
| Episode: "The Reunion Special"
|-
| ''[[Behind the Music]]''
| Episode: "Ludacris"
|-
| ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]''
| Anna Tejada
| Episode: "Poisoned Motive"
|-
| 2014
| ''Global Spin Awards''
| Herself
| Main host
|-
| 2014–20
| ''[[Power (TV series)|Power]]''
| Lakeisha Grant
| Recurring cast: Seasons 1–3, main cast: Seasons 4–6
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2015
| ''[[The Meredith Vieira Show]]''
|rowspan="2"| Herself
| Panelist; Episode: "Episode #1.148"
|-
| ''[[My Fab 40th]]''
| Episode: "Forty, I Do!"
|-
| 2015–16
| ''[[Unforgettable (U.S. TV series)|Unforgettable]]''
| Dr. Delina Michaels
| Main cast: [[Unforgettable (season 4)|Season 4]]
|-
| 2015–18
| ''[[The View (talk show)|The View]]''
|rowspan="3"| Herself
| Guest co-host: Seasons 18–19 and 21
|-
|rowspan="5"| 2017
| ''[[Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party]]''
| Episode: "Keepin' It Crunk"
|-
| ''[[The Talk (talk show)|The Talk]]''
| Guest co-host; Episode: "Episode #7.198"
|-
| ''[[The New Edition Story]]''
| Flo DeVoe
| 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Bull (2016 TV series)|Bull]]''
| Lesley Caffrey
| Episode: "Bring It On"
|-
| ''[[Daytime Divas]]''
| Isabel Carlisle
| Episode: "Baby Daddy Drama"
|-
| 2017–19
| ''Dear Mama: An Event to Honor Moms''
|rowspan="3"| Herself
| Main host
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2018
| ''[[Steve (talk show)|Steve]]''
| Panelist; Episode: "La La Anthony/Tracey Edmonds/Kim Gravel/Ta'Rhonda Jones"
|-
| ''Uncensored''
| Episode: "La La Anthony"
|-
| ''[[Star (TV series)|Star]]''
| Paola
| Episode: "Dreamers" & "Forward (E)Motion"
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2019
| ''[[Drop the Mic]]''
|rowspan="2"| Herself
| Episode: "Jack Osbourne vs. Kelly Osbourne and Mel B vs. La La Anthony"
|-
| ''[[Pyramid (franchise)|The $100,000 Pyramid]]''
| Celebrity player; Episode: "Joel McHale vs. Rich Eisen and Jerry Ferrara vs. La La Anthony"
|-
| ''[[BH90210]]''
| Shay
| Recurring cast
|-
| ''[[Reef Break]]''
| Regina O'Casey
| Episode: "Blue Skies" & "Endgame"
|-
| 2020
| ''Homecoming 2020: Meet Me on the Yard''
| Herself
| Main host
|-
| 2020–22
| ''[[The Chi]]''
| Dominque "Dom" Morris
| Recurring cast: Seasons 3–4, guest: Season 5
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2021
| ''[[Grown-ish]]''
| Esme
| Episode: "A Peace of Light" and "Canceled"
|-
| ''[[Wu-Tang: An American Saga]]''
| Tracy Waples 
| Recurring cast: Season 2
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2021–23
| ''[[Black Mafia Family (TV series)|Black Mafia Family]]''
| Markaisha Taylor
| Guest: Season 1, main cast: Season 2
|-
| ''[[The Freak Brothers]]''
| Gretchen Switzer (voice)
| Main cast: Season 1, recurring cast: Season 2
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2022
| ''[[The Kardashians]]''
| Herself
| 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Power Book II: Ghost]]''
| Lakeisha Grant
| Episode: "A Fair Fight?"
|-
| ''[[East New York (TV series)|East New York]]''
| Jasmine 
| Episode: "The Small Things"
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2023
| ''The Cube''
|rowspan="2"| Herself
| Episode: "America, Do You Have What It Takes?"
|-
| ''Black Pop: Celebrating the Power of Black Culture''
| Main narrator 
|-
| ''[[Bupkis (TV series)|Bupkis]]''
| Lisa
| Episode: "ISO"
|}

===Music videos===

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Artist
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2002
| "[[Oh Boy (Cam'ron song)|Oh Boy]]"
| [[Cam'ron]] 
|-
| "[[Miss You (Aaliyah song)|Miss You]]"
| [[Aaliyah]] 
|-
| 2005
| "[[So Much More (song)|So Much More]]"
| [[Fat Joe]] 
|-
| 2007
| "[[Can't Leave 'em Alone]]"
| [[Ciara]] featuring [[50 Cent]]
|-
| 2008
| "[[What Them Girls Like]]"
| [[Ludacris]] featuring [[Chris Brown]] and [[Sean Garrett]]
|-
| 2018
| "[[In My Feelings (song)|In My Feelings]]"
| [[Drake (musician)|Drake]] 
|-
| 2019
| "[[Hot Girl Summer]]"
| [[Megan Thee Stallion]] 
|}

===Documentary===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
|-
| 2003
| ''[[50 Cent: The New Breed]]''
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico}}
* [[List of Puerto Ricans|List of notable Puerto Ricans]]
* [[:Category:Hip-hop DJs]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|1043164|LaLa Anthony}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040803110407/http://www.mtv.com/onair/meet_the_vjs/vjs.jhtml?vj=La%20La MTV.com-Onair- Meet the Vjs]
* [http://www.mtv.tv/mtv.tv/dynamo/shells/shows.jhtml?article=30095438 Read MTV's profile of La La on MTV.TV]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100522044359/http://www.radioplanet.tv/lala-vazquez-talks-charm-school/ LaLa Vazquez interview] with [[DJ Whoo Kid]], Sirius Radio/RadioPlanet.tv

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anthony, La La}}
[[Category:Actresses from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Age controversies]]
[[Category:American actresses of Puerto Rican descent]]
[[Category:Howard University alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]
[[Category:Television personalities from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:People of Afro–Puerto Rican descent]]
[[Category:American video jockeys]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]