The Real-Life Partners Of America's Next Top Model Stars

Unlike some popular reality shows, such as the high-fashion drama "The Bachelorette" and "Flavor of Love," which are predominantly about couples falling in love, the central thrust of "America's Next Top Model" has nothing to do with romance. It's about having the look, charisma, and drive to succeed in the incredibly cutthroat and competitive world of professional modeling. Despite this, many of the contestants from "America's Next Top Model" have gone on to have fascinating love lives. Shockingly, their relationships don't receive as much attention from fans as one might expect.

One "America's Next Top Model" contestant married Christopher Knight from "The Brady Bunch" before getting remarried to a voice actor. Another tied the knot at a beautiful Scottish castle. A third wed a man who is known for being a happy fighter in the tense world of mixed martial arts. Here is a look at some of the partners of "America's Next Top Model" stars – and the incredible love stories they share.

Adrianne Curry has been half of a prominent couple twice in her life. In 2004, she met Christopher Knight while making the show "The Surreal Life." Knight is most known for playing Peter Brady on "The Brady Bunch." The couple wed in 2006, against the wishes of "The Brady Bunch"'s Florence Henderson, one of the most famous '70s sitcom moms, who said their love would not last as their relationship was televised from the start. During their marriage, the couple appeared on three seasons of the reality series "My Fair Brady." They divorced in 2011. Curry revealed that she looked back on "My Fair Brady" with regret. Henderson joked that she could serve as a divorce counselor for Knight and Curry.

In 2015, Curry began dating Matthew Rhode. Rhode is a voice actor who has done uncredited work on numerous popular movies, including the controversial comedy "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," "Glass Onion," "Dune: Part One," "Jungle Cruise," and the remake of Disney's "Mulan." He also performed various roles in "Grand Theft Auto V," one of the most acclaimed and popular video games ever released. He wed Curry in 2018.

During a 2024 interview with People, Curry discussed her feelings for Rhode. "He will make me laugh so hard that my stomach is in knots of pain and I'm sobbing laughing," she said. "I know when we can't have sex anymore and we're too old to even walk, we're at least going to be sitting there laughing at each other's farts. And that's a beautiful thing."

Whitney Thompson will always have her own little place in history for being the first plus-sized model to win "America's Next Top Model." Her boyfriend, Ian Forrester, proposed to her in 2013. The following year, the couple got married at Ackergill Tower, a castle in Scotland. Trends will come and go, but getting married at a castle will always feel like a dream come true. Forrester and Thompson have since welcomed two sons.

Together, the couple once owned a restaurant in Springfield, Tennessee, called The Copper Vault. Thompson discussed the opening of the restaurant. "My husband and I opened Copper Vault in September of 2016," she told Focus in 2019. "It was actually an expansion of our first restaurant, Whitney Lee's, which was farm-to-table fine dining." Thompson went on to explain that she and Forrester felt like the town needed more quality dining options. "The only coffee shop was Dunkin' Donuts in a gas station. The only ice cream shop was Dairy Queen," she said. "We wanted to expand, but we didn't want the stuffy feel of the first restaurant, even though we do still source locally as much as we can."

Thompson used her establishment to give to charity. One dollar from each slice of her rainbow cake went to help homeless youth. However, the restaurant is now closed. Thompson currently owns an ice cream parlor called Pink Pelican in Panama City, Florida, which offers both traditional ice cream flavors and oddball flavors such as Pelican Poop.

McKey Sullivan is an "America's Next Top Model" alum who married another entertainer. The entertainer in question, however, is in a completely different industry. Sullivan's husband, Sam Alvey, is a mixed martial arts fighter. The pair wed in 2013.

Mixed martial arts has a reputation for being a very aggressive sport. However, Alvey seems to be a sensitive guy. He loves his pet sheep and gives all of them names. He's gone years at a time without winning a single match, and yet he does not sweat it, as he finds greater happiness through his family and pets.

During a 2016 interview with MMA Junkie, Sullivan revealed she took an instrumental role in her husband's mixed martial arts career. "We actually both started picking it up together," Sullivan said. "He was training at weapons at some school and heard about some [pankration] tournament and started doing that. And he had nobody to train with, so I became his first training partner-slash-student and we started building a gym from there with his coach."

Laura James is another "America's Next Top Model" winner who married someone in another industry. Since 2022, she's been married to actor Jon-Michael Ecker. Ecker has appeared in many Spanish-language productions, such as the TV shows "Popland!" and "Corazón Valiente," as well as the English-language series' "Queen of the South" and "Doc." James and Ecker appeared together on one episode of "Doc" where the former played the flirty sister of the latter's character's patient — the role must have been easy for James to pull off!

Despite his success in his field, Ecker did not initially want to act. "It was never really on my radar to do and I never really had an interest," he told The Epoch Times in 2025. "I've always been, despite what my wife might say, somewhat shy. I worked as a scientific diver for years, and then life threw me a few curves and I ended up with the opportunity to take some acting classes and it went well."

After winning "America's Next Top Model," Eva Marcille became a prominent television actor. She was a major player on television shows such as the shocking soap opera "The Young and the Restless" and Tyler Perry's "House of Payne." She's also made appearances on "Smallville" and "All the Queen's Men." She's one of a handful of celebrities from her generation who have made a large impact on both reality television and scripted television.

Marcille has had an on-again, off-again relationship with attorney Michael Sterling. The pair were married in 2017, but she initiated divorce proceedings in 2023. In 2025, the pair rekindled their love. That same year, Marcille said she was happy to repair their relationship.

During a 2025 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Marcille discussed her feelings about her husband. "Life's a journey," she said. "It's a journey and my intention when marrying him was to be with him forever. And as we go through the ups and downs of life, no matter what it looks like, he is my forever. He is, and always will be, my forever and only." She compared the journey of life to her reality show "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," which is about going through military-style training.

In its own way, "America's Next Top Model" is like a sport. It's about many people at the top of their game working hard to outdo each other and earn fans. With that in mind, it's no surprise that an "America's Next Top Model" star would marry a sports legend.

In a 2016 interview with TwinCities.com, "ANTM" winner Raina Hein recalled meeting Minnesota Vikings tight end Rhett Ellison while she was visiting her home state of Minnesota for the premiere of her movie "To Say Goodbye." "I was out with my brother and best friend and he was out with his best friend," she said. "Neither of us like going out. We were out because our best friends wanted to go out. We met in downtown Minneapolis. He's super tall and I was in my heels so I was a definite Amazon that night. We ran into each other and he was the most awkward, sweet, genuine guy I've ever come across. He was an old-school gentleman. I was intrigued by that."

During a 2018 interview with Mith Magazine, Hein gushed over her husband. She said she was married to the most incredible man alive. Sometimes, he has to ask herself if her life is real. Luckily for her, it is.

Some "America's Next Top Model" stars married athletes. Some married lawyers. Some married "Brady Bunch" cast members. Only one married a superhero.

In 2012, Cassandra Jean married actor Stephen Amell. Amell is most known for playing the title character on the television series "Arrow," which is based on the DC comics hero Green Arrow. Amell was beloved by fans for bringing a sense of humor to the series. While Green Arrow has had a prominent place in comic books for decades, Amell arguably did more than anyone else to bring him to a wide audience.

In 2021, Amell was removed from a flight for arguing with Jean after drinking. He was not proud of his actions. "I was an a**hole in public," Amell said during a 2021 appearance on the "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" podcast. "And it makes you kind of look in the mirror. And I just realized a couple of things: If people are going to recognize you, don't necessarily drink in a public place, but more importantly, don't drink in a public place if you can't handle your sh**." Unlike other celebrity controversies, this incident barely affected Amell's career. Since then, he's had a lead role on the wrestling drama show "Heels."

"America's Next Top Model" is a TV show that people like to watch because it has a tried-and-true formula. People also watch Hallmark movies for the same reason. On an artistic level, it only makes sense that one of the models from the former would marry an actor known for the latter. Natalie Pack became famous through "America's Next Top Model," while her husband, Aaron O'Connell, appeared in Hallmark films with titles such as "12 Gifts of Christmas," "A Prince for Christmas," "Blending Christmas," and "With Love, Christmas." The latter film was made in the summer, meaning that O'Connell and his co-stars had to power through dressing for winter weather in the midst of the summer heat. They did such a good job that it would likely be difficult for viewers to tell the discomfort they were feeling. These days, Hallmark is most known for Christmas movies (many of which are underrated), meaning that O'Connell has a place in the heart of the network.

Pack and O'Connell tied the knot in 2018. During a 2024 interview with Soaps, Pack revealed that she adored an Elvis Presley-themed moment at their wedding. "Right as Aaron and I were about to start our first dance, a dance we spent many lessons learning as none of us had any dancing ability, a friend of ours surprised us with a live performance of our song 'Can't Help Falling in Love' sung by the artist herself, and one of my absolute favorite singers, Haley Reinhart," she recalled. "It was such a jaw-dropping surprise and can't help but to smile every time I think of it." For decades after its release, "Can't Help Falling in Love" remains a classic song for weddings. That same year, the couple appeared together in a Hallmark film called "This Is Our Christmas."

There seems to be some sort of connection between "America's Next Top Model" contestants and professional athletes. While some of the models married football players or mixed martial artists, Winnie Harlow fell in love with a basketball star: Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. He's also a bit of a romantic. In 2025, he took Harlow on a vacation and started to read her a poem. Little did she know he was proposing. He gave her a ring he had designed. The fact that Kuzma designed Harlow's ring makes theirs a memorable celebrity engagement.

During a 2026 interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Kuzman said he loves the energy that Harlow brings to his games. "She sits courtside," he revealed. "I'm always looking at her like 'Look at me. You paying attention?'" Kuzma said Harlow is very supportive of his career.

Despite this, Harlow isn't much of a basketball player. Kuzma says she understands the game. However, she is still trying to get better at playing it. She's definitely engaged to the right person to teach her!

Another model on our list found herself in the world of professional football. Jennipher Frost starred on "America's Next Top Model" before embarking on a professional modeling career for a brief time. In 2016, she married Brian Urlacher, a former linebacker for the Chicago Bears who retired from the sport three years prior.

During a 2017 interview with The Athletic, Urlacher discussed his family life with Frost. "I am living in Arizona, chasing my kids (daughters Riley and Pamela and son Kennedy) around," he said. "I drive them everywhere. I play a little golf when they are in school. I try to squeeze in working out. Hanging out with my wife and family, that's really it."

He was asked how his body had reacted to his time as a professional football player, including how it affects his relationship. "I can tell you every play from every game I was in," he said. "But I can't tell you what I had for dinner last night. I can't tell you what my wife told me this morning. I forget what she tells me, but she reminds me later. I feel like I'm still sharp enough, but I never was that sharp anyway." In 2018, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in honor of the impact he had on the sport.

One "America's Next Top Model" contestant married into the film industry. Lio Tipton is a model who was on the show before being introduced to a wider audience through roles in the quirky romantic comedies "Crazy, Stupid, Love" and "Warm Bodies." Tipton married film executive Chaz Salembier in 2022. 

Salembier once worked for Disney. In 2023, he became the creative VP for Laika, a film studio that has produced several cult classics. While Laika is known for bold stop-motion animated features such as "ParaNorman," "Missing Link," and "The Boxtrolls," the studio is focusing more on making live-action movies. Salembier is helping to make that shift happen.

During a 2022 interview with People, Tipton discussed getting married in a small ceremony. "The advantage of such a low number was that my partner, Chaz, and I were able to celebrate in such a wonderfully intimate way and we were truly able to appreciate everyone sharing such an important weekend with us," the model said. "It was everything and more than we ever hoped for. Neon bar signs, the Alabama game playing in the background and a dance floor lined with arcade games and covered with hundreds of warm string lights, floor to ceiling." Tipton took joy in simple pleasures. "Dancing was my favorite part of the day," the model added. "I love to dance, and dancing with the people I love is the ultimate wedding gift."