By the time Draya Michele became known to the public because of her short relationship with Chris Brown, she already had a son: Kniko Howard.
Kniko has always been an intriguing matter for fans, partially because of his high-profile mother and mostly because of the mystery surrounding his father’s identity.
For years, fans have been speculating with no solid facts about his parentage.
Who is Kniko Howard’s father, and why has Draya been hiding his identity for so long?
We’ll reveal the truth behind Kniko Howard’s father and the controversy surrounding his mother’s current relationship.
An Overview of Kniko Howard’s Life
Kniko Howard was born in 2002 when his mother was only 17 years old. Naturally, she’s kept his life private to protect him from scrutiny, but that hasn’t stopped the many rumors that appeared over the years about his father’s identity.
Kniko was reportedly born in Pennsylvania, but there isn’t any available information about his education or early life.
Who Is Kniko Howard’s Dad?
Kniko Howard is the first of three kids of Draya Michele. She had him in 2002 when she was short of 18 years old, and she didn’t have children until 14 years later when she had Jru Scandrick.
Anyway, since Draya had Kniko before she became famous, she didn’t disclose who his father was.
Image source: Pagesix
Until now, she’s keeping the father’s identity private, which sparked up even more speculation from her fans. There are some claims that he’s a barber from Pennsylvania, and some rumors state that he’s a professional athlete.
Jennifer Williams, the former star of Basketball Wives, once claimed that Gilbert Arenas is the real father of Draya Michele’s son, but she presented no real proof.
However, Draya constantly disputes these claims, and she posted on Instagram once to end the discussion once and for all, stating that her kid’s father isn’t a professional athlete or a basketball player.
She mentioned that he was someone she dated when she was younger and that he was sent to prison before she even gave birth to her son—though he was released later and was living in Pennsylvania. She also said she wouldn’t be revealing any more information about him for the sake of her child’s privacy—and she’s been fulfilling her promise since then.
Other Relationships in Draya Michele’s Life
Draya Michele had Kniko when she was a teenager, so naturally, she had many serious relationships afterward with mostly professional athletes.
Orlando Scandrick
Draya Michele famously dated Orlando Scandrick, a former NFL player, in 2013. The couple’s relationship was made public and repeatedly shown on the reality show Basketball Wives LA, which Draya appeared in.
Orlando was one of Draya’s longest relationships—they dated from 2013 to 2019, having gotten engaged in 2015.
Unfortunately, the engagement never made it to a marriage because they constantly broke up and reconciled. In 2016, Draya got pregnant from Orlando and gave birth to her second son, Jry Scandrick. They finally called it quits in 2019, but they still share Jru.
Image source: Bckonlin
French Montana
In 2020, Draya Michele was seen multiple times in public with French Montana, which sparked up some rumors about them dating after Draya ended her relationship with Orlando. However, neither Draya nor French confirmed the fact that they were dating, so to this day, fans don’t know whether that relationship happened at all.
Tyrod Taylor
Draya has reportedly dated Tyrod Taylor, the NFL quarterback, from 2020 to 2023. In 2022, the athlete even bought a house for her, but unfortunately, the relationship ended up in the courts.
Image source: Yahoo
According to the 39-year-old model, she had a verbal agreement with Taylor to buy the house from him when she was financially ready for it.
In 2023, she made an offer for $2.8 million, but Taylor countered it. In 2024, she made an offer for $3.2 million, and Taylor reportedly agreed.
She then made a downpayment of $300,000 to her ex, who later refused to complete the selling process and threatened to evict her and her kids. That’s why, earlier this year, Michele filed a lawsuit against the veteran NFL player for breach of contract, along with other issues that weren’t specified in public records.
Jalen Green
Draya Michele is now dating Jalen Green, the 22-year-old American basketballer. The relationship caused quite a backlash because Jalen is the same age as Kniko, Draya’s oldest son.
The fact that Michele is dating a basketball player 17 years younger than her didn’t sit well with some of her fans, but apparently, she’s been listening to none of the backlash since she gave birth to Green’s daughter in May 2024, and the relationship seems to be going strong.
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Draya Michele’s Life Aside From Being a Mother
Despite being in a short-lived relationship that only lasted for a few months, Draya Michele’s relationship with Chris Brown is the reason she rose to fame. She wasn’t known to the public prior to dating Rihanna’s ex.
After that, she went on to date professional basketballers, which is why she appeared on Basketball Wives LA in 2011, which is the same year Michele made her acting debut in TV One’s Will to Love.
She stayed on the reality show until 2015 and then joined The Perfect Match in 2016 for a supporting role.
Image source: Google
Amid her TV-oriented career, Draya Michele has a few ventures into fashion. She launched a swimwear brand called Mint Swim in 2011. Then, two years later, she launched a lifestyle clothing line called Fine Ass Girls.
Finally, in 2016, she started another clothing line with a different approach, called Beige & Coco.
Final Thoughts
As the years go by, the mystery of Kniko Howard’s father stays lingering in the background of Draya Michele’s life. Though she made it clear in 2016 that she wouldn’t be disclosing any more information about him, fans still speculate from time to time about the mysterious man.
Michele has stopped responding to the rumors, though. She kept herself busy taking care of her kids, the last of which got born in May of this year.
Whether Draya will ever reveal the real identity of Kniko Howard’s father is unknown, and maybe some secrets are meant to be kept. Kniko has been away from the spotlight for his entire life, so chances are, fans will eventually stop wondering about his private life.
Featured image source: Google
