Devale Ellis Talks Social Media, TV Stardom And Millennial Marriage

BOSSIP: You have three sons, Jackson, Cairo and Kaz, are they all comfortable in front of the camera?

Devale Ellis: Jackson is very comfortable in front of the camera, he’s a natural clown like his dad. Cairo is very dramatic. Kaz doesn’t like to be on camera at all. People ask all the time, ‘Why don’t you show Kaz?’ I try to respect his space. I take the camera out and he just shuts down, he’s just not with it. I’m like he didn’t sign up to do these things, so when I pull the camera out if he’d rather go runs somewhere else I’m like ‘hey, you don’t have to be in front of the audience for everyone.’ But Cairo and Jackson they love it.

Source: Marcus Ingram / Getty

BOSSIP: Your wife Khadeen has also been getting a lot of work, has that been difficult to balance?

Devale Ellis: Not at all. I met Khadeen at Hofstra. She was a Broadcast Journalism major. She was also interning for VH1. She was interning for News12 Long Island. She’s always wanted to be in front of the camera. She got her Masters degree in Speech Performance and Communications so she’s always wanted to do this. It was just a matter of time, between having babies — which I’m to blame for that because I keep getting her pregnant. She lets it be known. She just booked her first feature film. She’s going to be filming in March.

Source: Rachel K. Images / SplashNews / Splash News

BOSSIP: She got a feature film role before you did — are you guys competitive?

Devale Ellis : I’m always competitive. I actually did my first feature film in 2011. ‘Full Circle’ on Netflix. She actually booked her first feature film, which has distribution through Universal, before me. She’s like, ‘You know I booked a film before you.’ And being competitive is healthy in a relationship. It’s just when you try to undercut someone so that you get an edge that it’s not healthy. But I’m rooting for her and now I gotta book a film. It just gives me more energy to go harder and be greater.

BOSSIP: You guys recently relocated to L.A. from Brooklyn, what’s that transition been like?

Devale Ellis: We relocated because our podcast production team is in LA. Our management is in LA. So it was just easier to take meetings and be out there and meet people who are making the decisions in Hollywood. I’d say we’re part time because we live full time in LA but I’m in Atlanta probably every other month because I’m filming. I’m in New York every other month because we own property there and still auditioning there. We’re like tri-coastal. It’s cool.

BOSSIP: Nice! You must be doing well to have three places!

Devale Ellis: I’m not going to lie, we do very well. I found a way to monetize our truth and build a brand. The NFL was good to me. I took my money and invested it properly in property and stuff so I was able to make some smart decisions so we’re able to live comfortably while we chase our dreams. That was always the goal.

Must be nice! It’s great to see this young man hustling hard for his family and succeeding in seeing his dreams come true. More on Devale and the Ellis family when you continue.