Over the years, celebrities have served as a source of inspiration for fans worldwide, showcasing their remarkable journeys toward personal and professional success.
However, recently, many have offered glimpses into their love lives, sharing valuable insights about how they have manifested their romantic relationships. The act of manifesting, which is turning a thought or an idea into reality, isn't something new.
According to The Guardian, the concept was previously introduced in the 19th century and made its "resurgence in 2006" thanks to the best-selling self-help book The Secret. Since then, it has become a popular topic once again, especially after various celebrities have admitted to manifesting their perfect partner and career.
Below is a list of celebrities who manifested their relationship.
Yo Gotti
No one could mention the power of manifestation without talking about rapper Mario "Yo Gotti" Mims.
The 42-year-old is a prime example of how persistence and patience can help one find their ideal partner after landing his dream girl, reality star and entrepreneur Angela Simmons.
Although Mims and Simmons' announced that they were officially an item in December 2022, the pair's love story dates back to 2015 when the emcee expressed interest in the star in his hit song "Down in the DMs."
In the lyrics, Mims revealed that he developed a crush on Simmons after following her on social media and wasn't afraid to let the world know.
"And I just followed Angela (Simmons). Boy, I got a crush on Angela Simmons. They like, 'Damn Gotti, you bold.' F--k it. I'm gon' let the world know (goals)," the lyrics read.
Despite Mims' shooting his shot, in 2016, Simmons announced that she was engaged to businessman Sutton Tennyson. The former couple welcomed their son Sutton Tennyson Jr. that same year. In December 2017, more than a year after having their son, Simmons and Tennyson confirmed they had gone their separate ways.
Sadly following their split, Tennyson was fatally shot in 2018 in his Atlanta home after a heated argument with a man named Michael Williams. Williams was ultimately sentenced to life in prison.
In recent years, Simmons kept a relatively low profile regarding dating. The mother of one was previously linked to boxer Daniel Jacobs from 2020 to 2021. But in September 2022, Simmons made headlines after being spotted hanging out with Mims at her 35th birthday party and reciting the infamous lyrics to "Down in the DMs." The dating rumors continued when the couple attended numerous events together.
Since officially announcing their relationship, Mims and Simmons have become couple goals to many because of the love they have showcased in person and on social media.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky (L) and Rihanna (R).
Photo by Gotham/GC Images
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's romance may have started as a platonic relationship. Still, after developing a bond dating back to 2012 and their similar interests in fashion, music, and opinions on love, it would become apparent that the duo was meant for each other.
Rihanna and Rocky, who frequently supported one another over the years both personally and professionally, officially began dating in 2020, and the couple's union generated buzz online because of how pure and light-hearted their relationship appeared to be.
The pair would welcome their first child RZA Mayers in 2022. Less than a year later, the "Work" singer announced that she and Rocky were expecting baby number two during her Super Bowl performance.
As Rihanna and Rocky's love continues to grow, a TikTok user pieced together two separate interviews from the “Cockiness (Love It)” remix collaborators describing the type of relationship they each want. The clip is also made up of photos of the couple basking in their love showing they they manifested one another.
"I want a man that loves me, cherishes me, values me. But they have to know my value in order to value me. I want fun times," the 35-year-old said. "I want fun, fun times. I want to laugh. I want laughs more than anything."
Further in the video, the “L$D” rapper shared that he was ready to experience genuine love and was patiently waiting for the right person.
"See, here is the thing, love, if you go looking for it you not going to find it. You not man, because love comes to you. You know it's like a gift. You got to try to stay humble and not block your blessing," he said.
Ciara and Russell Wilson
Let’s get into another couple who manifested one another, Ciara and Russell Wilson. The beloved pair, who began dating in 2015 after meeting at an NBC wrap party, have been happily married for almost seven years.
Ciara and Russell also have a blended family of three children. The couple share a daughter Sienna Wilson, 6, and a 2-year-old son Win Wilson. In addition to their two children, the "Goodies" singer has a son Future Wilburn, 9, with rapper and ex-fiancé Future.
Over the years, as Ciara and Russell's love story evolved publicly and on social media, many acquired the specific prayer the "Level Up" vocalist said to land her perfect mate following her failed relationship with Future.
In 2019, during an interview with Angie Martinez, Ciara revealed that after experiencing a public breakup with Future, reportedly due to infidelity on the rapper's part, she prayed for a God-fearing man that loved children and someone that she could learn from, among other qualities.
" I prayed for a God-fearing man. I prayed for discernment. I prayed for wisdom, to really learn from the wisdom that I'm gaining from the experience that I'm going through," she said. "I prayed for a man that loved kids, because, obviously me having my son, if you're gonna love me, you've gotta love him. I prayed for a man that was worldly as well. Because I love to explore. So someone that was gonna edify my world, that was important to me. I was ready to level up!"
Also, in the discussion, Ciara disclosed that the night she met Russell, she knew he was the one based on the tranquil feeling they experienced around each other.
"I remember looking at my husband the first night we met — it's like a movie — when we talk about our story back to each other, we both have the same feelings… It was a calm feeling all over my body," she stated. "I also remember looking at him, and I thought he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. And I couldn't remember half of what he was saying…but when you know, you know."
On the other hand, as people continuously asked for Ciara's prayer to attract a perfect mate, many may have missed that Russell also manifested their relationship.
In 2015 during his appearance at The Rock Church in San Diego, Russell shared that before meeting Ciara, he knew that they would wind up together.
"I told somebody that's the girl I want to be with before I even met her. I was like, 'I'm probably going to end up with Ciara.' She's a special girl," he said.
Since then, Ciara and Russell have continued to display that true love exists in various ways, including their constant support of one another.
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer (L) and Darius Jackson (R).
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
The third person on the list is actress Keke Palmer.
The 29-year-old is currently dating longtime partner Darius Jackson, and earlier this year, the couple expanded their family by welcoming their son Leodis Jackson.
During a May discussion on the Baby Its Keke Palmer podcast, Palmer revealed that before she started dating Jackson in 2021, she had used manifestation as a tool to attract her perfect mate.
In the conversation, Palmer shared that she created a list of qualities she wanted her significant other to embody, which included a family man and someone who didn't takes themselves too seriously, to name a few.
"My partner is, in so many ways, everything. I mean, obviously not perfect. I'm not perfect. No one's perfect. But it's like you are literally everything I visualized, and I say that all the time to him and he's like, 'No way, Jose.' And I'm like, 'Yes way, Jose,'" she said.
"I always wanted a man that was not so overly obsessed with being masculine, you know what I mean? Still had masculine energy, but also welcomed the softness that feminine energy can give. Somebody that's had a good relationship with their mother, someone that didn't take themselves too seriously, somebody that was a little bit, you know, cheesy and corny in all the right ways, but still knew how to dress and gave me a vibe every now and then."
To date, Palmer and Jackson have displayed that it is possible to have it all by successfully maintaining their personal and professional relationship.
Jodie Turner-Smith
Actress Jodie Turner-Smith's love story with her husband, actor Joshua Jackson, may have begun unconventionally in 2018 after meeting at Usher's birthday party in Los Angeles, California.
Still, Smith-Turner's confession about having a crush on Jackson's Dawson Creek character Pacey Witter proved their relationship was destined. In a 2021 interview with W Magazine, the Queen & Slim star opened up about her fascination with Jackson's character, which began when she was a teenager.
"My first cinematic crush was Pacey from Dawson's Creek. I was like a very young teenager. I didn't have any posters because my parents were not down with that type of thing. It was like, 'I'm just interested in books and Dawson's Creek,'" she said.
Turner-Smith's admiration for Jackson came to a head when they officially met in 2018. In another interview with Seth Meyers on his late-night talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers, Turner-Smith disclosed that while playing hard to get after Jackson noticed her at the party, the couple would have a one-night stand which ultimately turned into a full-blown relationship.
"I saw him before he saw me and when I saw him, I was like, 'I want that. And then when he saw me, I just pretended like I didn't see him," she said. "When I first met my husband, we had a one-night stand. We're in a two, three-year one-night stand now."
Since that fateful night, Smith-Turner and Jackson have gotten married and welcomed a daughter Janie Jackson in 2020. To this day, the couple continues to rave about their relationship and the life they have built.
Jason Momoa
The last person on the list is actor Jason Momoa.
Although Momoa and his estranged wife, actress Lisa Bonet are currently going through divorce proceedings, he has shared in the past how he predicted his relationship with The Cosby Show star.
In a 2018 interview with The Late Late Show With James Corden, the Game Of Thrones star revealed that after seeing Bonet on television as a child, he knew he wanted to be with her and did everything he could to make it happen.
"Ever since I was like, eight years old and I saw [Lisa] on the TV, I was like, 'Mommy, I want that one. I'm like, 'I'm going to stalk you for the rest of my life and I'm going to get you,'" he said
"But yeah, just always wanted to meet her. She was a queen, always."
The former couple would meet in 2005 at a jazz club. Momoa disclosed that following their interaction, he convinced Bonet to take him home, and after that night, the pair became an item.
"We just happened to be in the right place at the right time... I had fireworks going off inside, man. I convinced her to take me home because I was living in a hotel, " he stated. Momoa and Bonet dated for twelve years before getting married in 2017. The pair also welcomed two children, Lola Momoa, 15, and 14-year-old Nakoa Momoa.
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RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Despite launching media careers from different pathways, the two New York-based women have forged a friendship where they can discuss their ambitions and challenges.
Both women are part of xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025, recognized in the Viral Voices category for the impact they’ve made through storytelling, creativity, and authenticity. Together, they represent what it means to build an "It Girl" brand with integrity and depth. In the spirit of SheaMoisture’s "Yes, And" ethos, Les and Kayla embody the freedom to be multi-layered as women evolving boldly into every version of themselves.
This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity
On Forging Their Own Paths
Les Alfred: Being a Jane of all trades is incredibly challenging. And one of the challenges I've faced is that the scope of what podcasters now need to do has increased so much. When I first interviewed you in 2019, I was still very new at it, but I remember being on a Skype call with you from my bedroom in Seattle. That was how I ran the show. And that was good enough. That is absolutely not good enough these days. The scope and the quality keeps increasing, but the resources that you have don't necessarily increase in order to remain competitive.
I get asked so many questions from people who want to get into podcasts and they want to get started. Most of the time, I'm just like, 'I don't have tips for you.' Because, one, I don't know what it's like to start in this current environment. Two, I know what it takes to contend and be consistent in this environment. The barrier of entry is a lot higher in terms of having something of quality than it was before.
On Balancing Ambition and Rest
Kayla Greaves: I've had to make a very clear effort to slow down and just not take on as much. Yes, you're running a business, but you're also living your life. I had one of those days yesterday. I just laid down and listened to white noise for hours because I just needed my brain to just be clear. I called a friend. I cried.
I'm starting over again today. The sun is out. It's a new day. And that's just sometimes what you have to do. You can't show up for your audience or for other people, if you can't show for yourself. I think that creativity comes from a place of living your life and having genuine experiences, and then sharing those experiences through your art.
"I had to give myself permission to let myself grow publicly in ways that I'd already done personally."
Courtesy
On Evolving Through Growth and Rebranding
Les: I didn't create Balanced Black Girl until 2018, but I started blogging and creating content and doing things under the Balanced brand in 2014. I was 24 years old at the time. Now, I'm 36. The things that were important to me, the perspective that I had and the stories I wanted to tell were entirely different. I think I had to give myself permission to let myself grow publicly in ways that I'd already done personally. The show isn't really about wellness anymore. And that shift started happening a couple of years ago.
When we started expanding into more lifestyle topics, more self-help topics [and] talking about entrepreneurship, the audience responded really well. That was when the show really started to grow and take off. And that was what got so much more engagement than the episodes back in 2020 when I was doing hour-long deep dives on gut health.
Rebranding the show was something I've been thinking about for a long time. When I was finally like, 'Oh, I need to do this,' honestly, was the 2024 presidential election. I was like, these people are about to be in here acting crazy. I do not feel safe with my business name being what it is. I don't want to be targeted for any BS. We saw what they did to the Fearless Fund.
"You have to balance your integrity with your income."
Courtesy
On Integrity Over Income
Kayla: I have many other interests aside from beauty. I'm growing and I'm changing as a person. I'm not the same person I was when I started at InStyle in 2019 before the pandemic rocked everybody's world. I don't think reviewing every single lipstick that comes out is exciting or interesting, because everybody does it now, and everybody feels like they're qualified to speak on things that they're not qualified to speak on. I'm currently in that pain point of growth.
I don't think I have always been in environments where I've been encouraged to branch out on my own ideas. I finished Ina Garten’s memoir maybe a month ago. She kept repeating this quote in her book. She said, ‘What goes in early, goes in deep.’ Now that I'm on my own and I don't have the resources of a traditional media company, which is what I have become accustomed to, sometimes it's difficult for me to be like, 'Okay, just go ahead with the thing.'
I think, Les, just the other day, you reposted somebody saying that they let go of a five-figure deal and then got double the next day because it just didn't feel aligned for them. Those are the things that happen. I have to find a balance of, 'Okay, how do I keep myself afloat?' And that may mean I may not be balling out of control just yet, but I'm okay for now. I can buy myself nice things every once in a while, but you have to balance your integrity with your income.
Les: There are just certain lines that I'm not willing to cross. Especially when I created more wellness content, one of those lines was I will not promote any sort of weight loss product. All of these GLP-1s all want to advertise on my podcast. I actually have nothing against those types of products, but I don't ever want someone to look at what I'm putting into the world and think that I'm saying that they need to feel a certain way about their bodies.
Even if the money is great, that's not for me to say, and that's not the type of message that I want to put out here. Or, I had another kind of brand deal come through that would have required me to divulge things about my personal life that I just don't really want my audience knowing about me, and bringing them along on journeys that I just find personal and I want to keep offline. I don’t want to be known for dragging my mess all over the internet for a buck.
I don't want to be known for being an influencer. I would love to be 1,000% in on my podcast, scale it, have it grow to be a media empire where I'm producing and putting out other bodies of work. For now, until that other side of the business really picks up and gets to the point where I want it to be, I kind of need to play the influencer game a little bit to live in this expensive city. But I'm gonna do it on my terms. It's a constant compromise that I'm coming to with myself.
"You can never make a big vision come to fruition if you're sitting and you're waiting for somebody else to tell you exactly what to do."
Courtesy
On Mutual Admiration and Friendship
Les: Something that I really admire about you in having known you for the past couple of years is you don't wait for a roadmap. You jump in, you roll up your sleeves, and you do it. You can never make a big vision come to fruition if you're sitting and you're waiting for somebody else to tell you exactly what to do.
Kayla: Well, first of all, I want to say thank you for saying that, because that means so much to me, and it's very affirming. That's exactly how I feel about you. I remember, even at your first live show, you're like, ‘Oh my god, I'm so stressed. I don't know what I'm doing.’ And, the shit sold out. And, you know, and now, like, you see the growth of the podcast. And you have nearly 61,000 subscribers on YouTube. I just checked recently.
I talk a lot about people that really just need to not say anything on the internet, because it's so frustrating as somebody who grew up as a traditional journalist. You want people to fact check and ask thoughtful questions and have good conversations. I've never said that about you. I've always loved your podcast. And I've sent a lot of your episodes to friends when they're going through specific things that you're talking about.
This season has been a little bit slower to me, so you've been a constant source of inspiration, and it's just been such a pleasure to see your podcast grow despite the challenges you've had. I know it's not easy, but you continue to grow and continue to push through, and I really admire that as somebody who sat and cried yesterday and listened to white noise.
And this is why I tell you all the time, you really do inspire me. I love you a lot.
Les: Oh my gosh, I love you a lot. I'm so glad that the podcast brought us together.
Tap into the full It Girl 100 Class of 2025 and meet all the women changing game this year and beyond. See the full list here.
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