Romeo Miller Reveals His Daughter Is 'One Of The Younger Cases To Be Diagnosed' With Type 1 Diabetes
Romeo Miller has a lot to be grateful for during this holiday season, and of these is the health of his 2-year-old daughter.
Late last month, the 34-year-old artist revealed that his daughter, River Rose Miller, has type 1 diabetes.
"River Rose Miller aka my little rocket! Before I go to bed tonight, on this special day I give thanks to you and for you,” she expressed in an Instagram post. “Behind that comely smile, there’s a fighter! I’ve never met a stronger human and I thank God every day for assigning me to be your papa."
The businessman shared a montage of heartfelt moments with his daughter undergoing treatment in the hospital along with clips of their playful daddy-daughter times, praising her strength and resilience in facing the challenges of her condition.
"At her age, there are many challenges and random sleepovers at the hospital, but our faith has never wavered and little sister Winter and Mama Drew are always by her side,” he wrote. “The silver lining? Our bond is even stronger because it's a must I be there for my daughter medically."
According to the Mayo Clinic, type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the pancreas produces little to no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar (glucose) levels. In individuals with type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Miller adds, “We’ve kept things private, but my daughter is one of the younger cases to be diagnosed with T1D. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic (life-long) autoimmune disease that prevents your pancreas from making insulin. It requires daily management with insulin injections, shots, and blood sugar monitoring just to survive.”
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is often associated with lifestyle factors such as obesity and physical inactivity, type 1 diabetes is not linked to these risk factors.
When a child with type 1 diabetes shows symptoms, it indicates that their body is not processing glucose properly. Common signs of Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, may include: increased thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, fatigue, and blurred vision.
Despite his daughter’s health challenges, Miller shares that his family has been “blessed” to work with top doctors to give his child the best care possible. The Nickelodeon-alum shares his nearly two-year-old daughter, River Rose, and 8-month-old daughter, Winter Snoh with fiancée, Drew Sangster.
“I wanna give that knowledge and access back to all whom are going through a similar journey. @omnipod and @dexcom has been a life saver, but my mission is to help the T1D community find a cure. We have some exciting news coming soon! The @mylittlerocketco is an all purpose company and charity inspired by my daughter and owned by my daughter. Romans 8:28 🌍🙏🏾,” he continues.
The entrepreneur is inspired to spread awareness around this health condition and concluded his post with the famous quote: "You never know what someone is going through, so be kind.”
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Featured image via Romeo Miller/Instagram
Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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Feature image by Franco Zulueta
Serena Williams Hits Back At Skin-Bleaching Accusations: 'I’m A Dark, Black Woman, And I Love Who I Am'
Serena Williams is clapping back at skin-bleaching accusations. During a makeup tutorial for her beauty brand, Wyn Beauty, the tennis legend took the opportunity to address the "haters."
“And then I put just that neutral color, that is actually my skin color, and no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” she said. “There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
The rumors started after the mom of two posted a video of herself and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, at their daughter's school play. In the video, she appeared to look a few shades lighter. During her response, she revealed that she was volunteering at the play and wore stage makeup.
“Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous that everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she bleached her skin,’" she said. "I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look and that's just not my thing.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also said that she doesn't judge anyone who bleaches their skin as she "stays in my lane."
Serena has always had style on and off the court, and even collaborated with Nike with her own collection Serena Williams Design Crew. However, the tennis champ has now pivoted into beauty.
Wyn Beauty was launched in April 2024 with at 10-piece collection of lip, eye, and complexion products. The brand was inspired by Serena's time on the court and the packaging is reminiscent of a tennis ball due to its chartreuse color.
“Throughout my career, I was always searching for makeup that looked good after hours on the court, mixing products myself and creating my own formulas while traveling the world,” she said in a statement. As she continues to make a name for herself in the beauty industry, I'm sure we will see a lot more looks from the tennis star.
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Feature image by Marc Piasecki/WireImage