La La Anthony is a triple threat — she’s an actress, TV personality and a businesswoman — which makes her the perfect fit to be Us Weekly’s woman crush.
Anthony, 41, made a name for herself as an MTV VJ on Total Request Live in the early 2000s, going on to host reality shows such as Flavor of Love, For the Love of Ray J and I Love New York. Anthony has also appeared in scripted movies and TV shows, including Think Like a Man, BMF, BH90210 and Power, and authored two memoirs.
“People are multiple things [and have] 360 deals, entrepreneurs across the board,” she told The Shade Room in a January 2023 interview. “There was a time where if you were an actor, that’s all you did [and] if you were on the radio, that’s all you did. It’s not like that anymore. People are doing anything.”
Anthony balances her work commitments with raising 17-year-old son Kiyan, whom she shares with ex-husband Carmelo Anthony.
“As long as I prioritize [Kiyan] first, which he’ll always be first over anything I’m doing, then kind of everything else falls into place after that,” La La previously said during an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show in June 2021. “But Kiyan comes before any job or anything at all times, and everyone I work with or anyone who’s a part of what I’m doing knows that.”
Keep scrolling to find out why La La is Us Weekly’s Woman Crush:
1. She’s a Savvy Businesswoman
Not only is La La an acclaimed actress who has produced Broadway shows like 2016’s Eclipsed, but she has started her own companies. La La launched her beauty brand, Inala, in 2022.
“Prior to the pandemic, I was just ripping and running. Blow drying my hair, ponytails, extensions, clip-ins, tape-ins, weaves, braids — anything you can think of when it comes to hair: that was me,” she exclusively told Us in January 2022. “But I realized that I was never paying attention or taking care of my real hair or my natural hair.”
La La soon discovered that fermented rice water worked well to give hair an extra boost of strength and shine. Inala’s products are made with 100 percent rice water and a scentless formula.
2. She Slays Hosting Duties on the Red Carpet
La La is also a TV presenter, hosting various award shows like the BET Awards and the Global Spin Awards. She has also been a fixture on the Met Gala red carpet, interviewing the biggest A-listers ahead of fashion’s biggest night.
“It’s a fun night, so it’s about keeping the questions light, about the fashion about what inspired your look,” La La told Vogue in May 2024. “Just be ready to answer those kinds of questions. Nobody’s trying to dig into your personal life or ask you anything uncomfortable. Everyone’s in high spirits — and we want to keep it that way.”
3. She Crushes Coparenting Son With Her Ex-Husband
La La and Carmelo, 40, were married between 2010 and 2017. Despite reconciling one year later, La La ultimately filed for divorce in 2021. Amid their ups and downs, La La and Carmelo always put Kiyan first.
“It’s actually been smooth sailing,” she exclusively told Us of coparenting in April 2020. “To see my son just so happy, even in the midst of what’s going on in the world, to me, is what’s important and what matters to me. So I feel really great about that.”
4. She Preaches Self-Care and Prioritizes Her Well-Being
La La is constantly on the move between work commitments and raising Kiyan, but she’s also learned that it is important to put herself first after having emergency heart surgery in June 2021.
“This made me reprioritize myself because it’s always about everyone else and work and this and that,” she told Self the following November. “And it’s like, if I’m not good, I’m not gonna be good for anyone.”
5. She Advocates for Important Causes Like Prison Reform
La La also finds it important to help those in need, with a special place in her heart for prison reform advocacy. She even regularly visits inmates at Riker’s Island in New York.
“I have an incredible bond with my son, and that’s what helps me with the work at Rikers as well,” La La told Only Natural Diamonds in a December 2022 cover shoot. “When I look at the boys in the program, I look at them the way I’m looking at my son. I talk to them with the same passion, care, concern and love that I talk to my son with. It’s just second nature to me.”
She added, “I feel like it’s my duty to do good. Growing up a certain way and seeing people struggle, and now being in a position to actually help those that may be struggling and help them have hope, is very important to me. It’s my driving force.”
