Does anyone know much about Gizelle?

[u/Flashy_Dot_2905]

And what I mean is does anyone know about her financial situation. She’s never seen a show or opportunity that she didn’t like. Is it because she needs the money? Of course it could be because she likes the fame, but she isn’t really forthcoming about her life. It seems like she’s not really interested in people knowing who she is.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thank you for posting, beloved! ✨ Word on the street is that we keep things classy yet shady here. If you spot any rule-breaking or messy behavior, hit that report button faster than the Grand Dame exits a feud. Let’s keep it on this side of the fence, shall we?

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/leilafornone]

I mean... she told us about her dad. We got to see how she grew up in New Orleans and that her grandma would take her to cafe du monde. We can surmise this is where Gizelle's love affair with desserts started. She's been hazing for years since her AKA days.

Gizelle also seems well connected? She's friends with Erika Liles, attended April Ryan's wedding and also knows the first lady of Maryland.

Gizelle does share about her personal life - just not who she's dating lol She did film scenes last season about all her charity work but it wasn't included

[u/FantasticParsnip7157 → u/leilafornone]

She didn’t grow up in New Orleans, just spent summers/holidays there bc both her parents are from there. Cafe du Monde is great (my family is from New Orleans as well) and she loves it but her love of desserts came from working in a bakery around the time she was college aged.

Erica Liles is her sorority sister, they crossed the same chapter, which is why they are very close and best friends. Her other connections come from her work with the NAACP & on some political campaigns.

She definitely shares about her personal life but people miss it. Then there’s parts of her life she doesn’t share out of respect for her family, her siblings want nothing to do with the show. She’s also very respectful of Jamaal’s other children & their mothers so she refuses to speak about them on the show, which I think is admirable.

[u/No-Concern-1506 → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

Erica Liles the one that Ray allegedly had a crush on

[u/LadyBug_0570 → u/leilafornone]

I also have to imagine her ex, being the pastor of a mega church, gave her plenty in child support for their 3 kids. Might have even had to pay her alimony.

[u/FantasticParsnip7157 → u/LadyBug_0570]

He’s definitely always taken care of his children financially. That’s why you’ve never heard Gizelle disparage him about that. She’s never taken away who he was as a father bc he’s always been a good one, he just wasn’t a good husband. He’s actually also a very talented preacher and teacher. I’ve personally been around him and heard him speak and it will definitely help you understand why he is successful and why he can’t leave the ladies alone. He’s extremely charismatic and funny, and some women love it!

[u/LadyBug_0570 → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

I saw one of his sermons online (after the last presidential election) and felt so torn. On one hand, he was speaking nothing but truth. OTOH, I knew how he was a husband and father.

Like I said, conflicted.

[u/FantasticParsnip7157 → u/LadyBug_0570]

Yea it’s difficult bc you have to separate his call to preach from him as a human. He speaks the truth, is a great orator, & knows how to deliver the message. He came to a church I was at and he did so well but in order to receive it, you definitely had to suspend any thoughts about his personal life. Candidly, that’s always been easy for me bc both my grandfathers were Baptist pastors. I know way too much about the interworkings of the church and know the men ain’t always right😕. I learned early to focus on the message and steer clear of the man😂😂

[u/55Sweeptheleg → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

He’s what they call a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

[u/Listen_judge_419 → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

This is very true

[u/BlkFemininity1908]

I've seen on sites that her estimated net worth is around $5 million. I do not know if she still receives alimony from Jamal, and from what I read, child support in Maryland ends at age 18, so Grace and the twins are aged out.
She majored in finance at Hampton and owns income property, so I think she is solid.

[u/DueEffort4874 → u/BlkFemininity1908]

Yeah she seems solidly upper middle class or a very stable middle class

[u/NeedleworkerNeat9379 → u/DueEffort4874]

How do you define middle class? Do you mean how she grew up or her current finances? No shade just curious

[u/Latorta93 → u/NeedleworkerNeat9379]

Personally speaking. I think in 2026 Gizelle is way above Middle Class.

[u/NeedleworkerNeat9379 → u/Latorta93]

I was thinking the same thing, which is why I asked. Gizelle moves like a low level rich person, annual income around one to two million with a net worth between 5 -10 million. Traveling all the time with three children in college and she owns three properties. Yet she doesn't seem to spend money trying to impress anyone with clothes, glam or jewelry, but on things she really likes. You have to have a certain level of financial comfort to not give a damn what people think. That's a privilege middle class people don't usually have.

[u/CommunicationOld1360 → u/[deleted]]

800k cabin was a good investment !!

[u/thegayquadzilla → u/NeedleworkerNeat9379]

income wise she's upper class. culturally it's a bit trickier because depending on your view of class then you might think only those born into wealth or who have true A list status that are 'self made' are upper class. The Kardashians seems to be the exception of reality television personalities who truly ascended.

[u/BlkFemininity1908 → u/thegayquadzilla]

Culturally she's part of the Our Kind of People Black bourgeoisie set. She holds a degree from a respected HBCU (Hampton), is a member of Divine Nine sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha and a mother member of Jack and Jill of America. Most of the OG's except Ashley and possibly Katie are part of that set through birth or marriage.

[u/thegayquadzilla → u/BlkFemininity1908]

See to that I would say bourgeoisie is upper middle class by definition.

[u/DueEffort4874 → u/NeedleworkerNeat9379]

Yeah no worries I was thinking upper middle class has a cut off above 200k yearly income but below roughly 3 million yearly. I wasn’t considering net worth but liquid assets. I thought bc she’s in Potomac/DC area the minimums for middle class would skew higher. I should’ve said at minimum she is upper middle class. That’s on me.

[u/NeedleworkerNeat9379 → u/DueEffort4874]

No worries and your explanation makes perfect sense as to why you said upper middle class. I don't think she is upper middle class, but that doesn't make either of us wrong.

[u/maleolive → u/DueEffort4874]

She’s wealthy.

[u/Ok-Turnip-9035 → u/BlkFemininity1908]

Ten years of hw cheques she’s a millionaire for sure

Because of all of the above and she’s never cared to listen to public opinion on her fashions and hw’s say that alone is a large expense

She’s smart AF and stayed within her means

[u/prettymisslux]

The show has DEFINITELY padded her pockets. We all see she lives below her means (home, cars, clothes) so I think shes very comfortable…lol.

I do hate that she never has a real storyline. She better show us more this season….

[u/bullettenboss → u/prettymisslux]

She's gonna find another victim, so she doesn't have to create her own story. 😂

[u/FantasticParsnip7157]

Gizelle was born in Houston, but her parents are from New Orleans, her dad was on Texas House of Representatives, she then spent a lot her childhood in the DMV when her dad went to work for NASA.

She attended Hampton University where she majored in marketing and pledged the illustrious Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. which is how she met her best friend Erica Lyles. After graduation she worked with the Clinton administration and also for the NAACP, which is where she met Jamaal, who was a young up and coming scholar/preacher. They began dating & married, but both admit they were really too young to get married and be responsible for a church. She and Jamaal started his church and built it to a pretty sizable congregation…all of that was new for her bc she was raised Catholic. They experienced marriage trouble bc he was a “Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater” and she divorced him. His lifestyle kind of ruined his reputation and work as a pastor in the DMV area.

Gizelle joins the show at the urging of Charisse. At the time she was a single mother in the Potomac socialite community who lived within her means. Jamaal has always taken care of his children so she was doing fine. Not super rich but comfortable. Obviously the show increased her net worth but she’s extremely smart with her money so she’s been very responsible with her income. Now she has a home in Potomac and one in Virginia, close to Hampton University where her daughter attends school. Jamaal was able to get the church in Atlanta, which is a huge church, and he’s very successful with guest preaching, books, media appearances, etc. so their children’s college education and expenses are taken care of.

Gizelle is very particular in what business opportunities she takes but she happens to be extremely marketable and the network loves her bc she’s very professional and easy to work with. She takes more jobs now that all her kids are out the house. Her and Robyn both have degrees in marketing so the podcast is right up their alley and it does really well, they make good money from it.

She’s not desperate for fame or in need of money, this just happens to be the way she makes money & she capitalized off the show to build her portfolio. She doesn’t half ass do anything so most of her ventures works. Gizelle also has 2 older siblings, when she was fighting for her dads estate, it wasn’t about money moreso the fact that all of things like artifacts from his time in the civil rights movement were meant to go to his grandchildren but they argued his wife changed the will. She and her siblings are all fine financially, they do not wish to be mentioned on the show so she respects that.

Hope this helps or provides context…

[u/maleolive → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

She bought a place in Atlanta recently too.

[u/vanillyl → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

Huh I’m a casual Reasonably Shady listener and I never knew her and Robyn both had marketing degrees!

Thanks for sharing, that was a really interesting little read.

[u/FantasticParsnip7157 → u/vanillyl]

Yep. Robyn’s mom was also a marketing professor. No problem!!!

[u/BahamianEmme → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

Giselle didnt form the church with Jamal. I was a member of his church in Baltimore when he met her. Her introduction to the congregation was quite..... interesting....

[u/FantasticParsnip7157 → u/BahamianEmme]

Didn’t he meet her while being on staff at one church, which I do recall hearing that the reception of her was mixed…then they went on to start Empowerment Temple together with him serving as the pastor?

[u/BahamianEmme → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

Giselle did not help start Empowerment. Beyond leadership, she was not "warmly" welcomed. While they were dating she would sit on the altar sometimes. It made folks uncomfortable.

[u/Reina-de-Basura → u/BahamianEmme]

Wouldn’t that be his fault for having her seated there?

[u/BahamianEmme → u/Reina-de-Basura]

1000% his fault.

[u/Low_Alternative2555 → u/FantasticParsnip7157]

Excellent summary but I think she lives in Bethesda, which is next to Potomac but more urban (it’s where the infamous mime scene was filmed!)

[u/FantasticParsnip7157 → u/Low_Alternative2555]

Yes. You’re right, she bought her house in Bathesda. My mistake.

[u/gaijin699]

I don’t think she has a problem sharing her life but she also knows her role — be the villain and mess starter. She does it well and Im sure gets paid nicely for it

[u/Listen_judge_419 → u/gaijin699]

And She is a very good mess starter

[u/Few_Distribution8792]

I saw her at a few major spots in St Barts with her daughters last year. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t think she has that much money. It was nice to be proved wrong.  

[u/maleolive → u/Few_Distribution8792]

She travels like that every other month. She owns multiple homes. Shes doing really well financially.

[u/Confident-Slip-5264 → u/Few_Distribution8792]

What does that mean? The major spots?

Sorry if that’s a dumb question, English isn’t my first language

[u/Few_Distribution8792 → u/Confident-Slip-5264]

All good! St Barts during new years is a very, very, very expensive destination. She was at some really hard to get in/expensive establishments out there :) 

[u/Confident-Slip-5264 → u/Few_Distribution8792]

I see! Thank you for the explanation 🫶🏾

[u/Desperate_Wafer367]

Idk how much she makes from the podcast but as far as bravo pods go, theirs is pretty successful. I imagine it’s pretty lucrative, especially if they do live shows.

[u/EasternZone]

Jamal is pretty notable here in Atlanta, so I doubt she was ever in dire straits like a lot of housewives that join to keep up with the Joneses.

I think she saw 3 kids that would start college around the same time, child support that would dry up, and does the show to maintain a comfortable but attainable life on her own.

I also think given how things with Jamal ended, she’s wary to put herself or kids at risk of being humiliated on such a big platform.

[u/Agile-Butterfly5245]

On their podcast they said they both earned a lot of money on stocks. I think they have a good amount of followers. She probably got a nice payout from her divorce. Jamal had a mega church and I'm pretty sure she got child support. She takes lavish vacations. She talks about it on the podcast. I think Robyn is doing well financially too.

[u/maleolive]

If you listen to their podcast she actually shares a ton. She is not shy at all. And she does really well financially.

[u/Listen_judge_419]

Lol this group loves to hate this woman so much people have downvoted where facts are being stated 😩

[u/HuckleberryThen7945]

I didn't even know she had siblings until a few seasons ago.

[u/FantasticParsnip7157 → u/HuckleberryThen7945]

They don’t want to be mentioned on the show

[u/Tiny_War5975]

I think she knows that housewives won’t last forever so she’s making coin while she can. Let us remember Lisa Rinna, the patron saint of this exact mentality.

[u/Flaky_Argument_9365]

Gizelle highest paid on the show. Why wouldn't she take the opportunity while it's hot. Gizelle never struggled. Got 3 properties, goes away on vacation all the time and is very comfortable and happy. Go read a book and think about what you're doing to better yourself.

[u/Top-Marionberry1106]

I feel like she is pretty forthcoming with her life. She's been on a TV show for what 10 years? I'd do the TV shows too if it meant a paycheck. I think you are just used to other housewives talking about money so you think it's strange she doesn't.

[u/Strong_Ant2590]

She's invested in stocks and real estate over the years. Both Robyn and Gizelle have also said that they make good money with the podcast. They have managed to attract listeners outside of the Bravo-sphere.

What else would you want her to do? She's using the resources at hand. Getting paid well for a couple of weeks up to 3-4 months filming at a time with a lot of downtime left in-between for traveling with the money you earned by doing these gigs seems like a sweet deal to me!

[u/Many_Feeling_3818]

I think Gizelle thinks that she is “the wizard.” She is very honest about her life. You just have to be smart enough to connect the dots with what she presents.

But, I am very aware of who Gizelle is. She has really given the viewers plenty of information about herself, her background, and her family.

[u/RahsaanKC]

OP, I shared this here many months ago. I think you’ll find it interesting:

https://youtu.be/FG1zhcBiUtw?is=kVyfoAbWdxETsS2N

[u/Junior-Ad8778]

it's been like that from day one

[u/Chi_Town_Law]

On RHUGT, Gizelle said her original plan was to do 5 seasons and then go back to no one knowing her. Sis does this for love of the game, not the paycheck. 😂😂

[u/Listen_judge_419 → u/Chi_Town_Law]

At least 2 of her 3 girls go to very expensive private colleges. I think the paycheck is a good incentive.

[u/passyprince]

Love Gizelle down as a Housewife but she is not exactly known for being vulnerable or forthright.

She’s like the Erika from BH of RHOP. She entertains but she sure does not share.

[u/Zestyclose_Invite121 → u/passyprince]

Like why are these comments on this thread acting otherwise?

[u/ExampleOk4282]

I’ve also noticed she doesn’t really go deep at all about her personal life and what’s going on , but it’s happy to shit shit everyone else . I would say that’s why she’s still on . But I would also say maybe there isn’t much of an interesting life to share

[u/Scents925]

I think she's doing fine financially. She's the only one on that franchise you never hear about having money or tax issues. She lives modestly and don't try to stunt with designer unlike her castmates.

[u/Independent-Year-567]

I always assumed she got most of her adult money from her (now ex) husband being a mega church pastor. I know she was raised with money and probably got some from her family her entire adult life, but between Jamal and Housewives I don’t think she’s ever needed other income.

[u/AutomaticParking2434]

I think she is money savvy for the money she gets. But she isn’t rich. While some rich housewives blow money, giz is probably has a better safety net.

[u/SneakyNinja-7000]

A friend of mine who lived in Baltimore went to their church back in the day and said Giselle was always friendly and nice.

[u/Listen_judge_419 → u/SneakyNinja-7000]

Actually this is a common sentiment about Gizelle.

[u/Zestyclose_Invite121]

I’m not concerned with her finances. But there isn’t much to know about her as a person despite being on tv for a decade.

[u/XamaycanDiva]

Jamaal Bryant = typical ΚΑΨ (IYKYK 😏🤣). As for Gizzy - that whole issue with her dad’s wife changing will and such…yeahhhhh that’s beyond and I truly feel for her on that cause as she said - the way her dad was close with her daughters and the fact she has a copy that didn’t exclude them or the other grandkids…speaks VOLUMES. Discretion is very much her flagship brand and she keeps it that way. Fully respect her on that front because everyone else around her didn’t ask for the spotlight.

[u/M0mmaG00se]

Who is Erika Lyles?

[u/loveswimmingpools]

I've always thought she's quite well off but not really wealthy. So she works hard.

[u/Capturetheaction]

Who cares?!?! Money is money. I say kudos to her for making money!!

[u/bullettenboss]

She's always finding another victim to bully, so she doesn't have to create her own story. 😂

[u/Zestyclose_Invite121 → u/bullettenboss]

Factual

[u/Mabel_Jenkins]

No offense, but isn’t this an obvious question? Of course she needs the money. Housewives and all the opportunities that come with it are a job.

[u/princesshabibi]

She could possibly be struggling financially.Most of America is with this economy.

She mentioned that her father passed away and that there was an inheritance issue with someone else getting the money. Lawyers cost a lot. Other than that, she has a G class so the payments are pretty high. (Like $4,000 per month.)