Television Personality of 'The Real Housewives of Orange County'

Slade Smiley | Biography 2022

Founder of Grayson Entertainment

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Original : February 04, 2022

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Slade Smiley is an American reality star best known for appearing in the Bravo TV reality show The Real Housewives of Orange County.

Slade Smiley Short Bio

Slade Smiley is a reality television personality born on 29 October 1973 in Oakland, California. He was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where he discovered his love for performing. He started performing in a local choir at age 13 and served in high school and college drama classes and musical productions.

He graduated with a degree in Sports Medicine Residency Program from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and then International Business from the California State University-Long Beach.

From 1990 to 2000, Smiley competed as a professional cyclist. He trained with the U.S. National Cycling Team and attended the 1993 Tour De France. 

In 1993, he launched a modeling career that led him to TV commercials for high-profile brands like Adidas, Gillette, and Volkswagen. He eventually founded Grayson Entertainment in 2000. The company is involved in productions for films and television.

Smiley rose to prominence after appearing on Bravo TV's The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 1. He was part of the show from the first to eight seasons, except the third and fourth seasons.

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After leaving the show in 2013, he appeared on television shows like Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars, The Doctors, and TMI Hollywood. He also portrayed the role of Bartholomew Fly in the History Channel historical drama miniseries Texas Rising in 2015.

Son Grayson

Smiley was in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Michelle Arroyo. He has two sons named Gavin and Grayson with her. Unfortunately, as per a support website run by Grayson's mother, Michelle, their son Grayson, born on 16 May 2000, was diagnosed with a brain tumor on 19 May 2006. 

In an interview with Page Six in February 2018, Smiley updated about his son Grayson's health complications and ongoing treatment. He said, "He does have a lot of complications, but he's in regular physical therapy. We have school coming to the house, so he's actually really looking good. Really, really good. I'm pretty excited."

Smiley and his current fiancée Rossi even named their daughter in honor of Smiley's cancer-stricken son Grason.

Ex-Wife and Ex-Fiancée

Smiley was first married to his ex-wife named Rosie. He later got engaged to Jo Dela Rosa. Smiley and his then-fiancée were cast in the first season of Real Housewives of Orange County, which premiered on 21 March 2006. The show followed the high and lows of their relationship before they called off their engagement during Season 2 in 2007. The two later launched a spin-off show called Date My Ex in 2008.

In the late 2010s, the former couple made the news when De La Rosa claimed in an interview that Smiley proposed to her with a fake engagement ring. Responding to his ex-fiancée's claim, Smiley said in the Knot Too Taboo podcast that De La Rosa was desperate to be engaged for the show. So she purchased the ring herself.

Current Fiancée

Smiley reappeared on The Real Housewives of Orange County during the fifth season of the show in 2009 as the love interest of housewife Gretchen Christine Rossi.

They eventually got engaged in April 2013. However, while appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen show on 6 May 2021, Rossi revealed that they had planned to get married and wedding date on the calendar. Still, they missed their wedding as Smiley got booked to film for The History Channel. 

The couple has one daughter named Skylar Gray Smiley, named after his son Grayson. They conceived their daughter through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and welcomed her on 10 July 2019.