Who is Joel Embiid's wife Anne de Paula? Meet the Brazilian model as 76ers star suffers injury scare against Raptors

Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid gave fans an injury scare during Thursday night's 123-112 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia. The former NBA MVP collapsed on the court after a knee-on-knee collision in the very first quarter, triggering doubts about his fitness. However, the home crowd got a huge sigh of relief when Embiid returned to the court after a brief visit to the locker room with the team's medical staff. On the game front, Philadelphia posted victory on the back of Tyrese Maxey's 27 points, while RJ Barrett scored a game-high 31 in the losing cause for Toronto.

WHO IS ANNE DE PAULA? ALL ABOUT JOEL EMBIID'S BRAZILIAN MODEL WIFE

Anne de Paula is a well-known Brazilian fashion and swimsuit model. Before entering the modeling industry, she dreamed of pursuing a completely different career.

According to EssentiallySports, de Paula, who was born on March 31, 1995, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, started out playing soccer, spending many years of his life as a goalkeeper. With both her parents working in medicine, she first thought of joining the healthcare profession.

However, she made a career in the fashion industry after her mother encouraged her to explore modeling opportunities. Her big break came in 2017 when she won the fan’s vote in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model search contest.

This victory paved the way for her, and she officially debuted as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit rookie in 2018. Post that, de Paula has done numerous international photoshoots in various destinations including Kenya, Anguilla and the Dominican Republic.

Apart from modeling, she is good at speaking many languages including Portuguese, English, and French. Additionally, she loves practicing Muay Thai, a martial art form which she learned as a teenager.

Despite her glamorous profession, de Paula reportedly likes to lead a simple lifestyle. She loves homely life and likes to do simple things like cooking for her family.

HOW DID JOEL EMBIID AND ANNE DE PAULA MEET? INSIDE THEIR LOVE STORY

Joel Embiid and Anne de Paula reportedly met for the first time in 2018 at a dinner party arranged by their common friend in New York. However, the meeting was not a love-at-first-sight one.

According to EssentiallySports, the two barely spoke when they first met, and de Paula initially didn't even know Embiid was an NBA player. However, they developed a friendship over time and began regular interaction through FaceTime.

The shared experiences made them feel more connected because they both left their native lands early in their lives to take up professional careers. Another reason for their connection was the shared love for soccer and the language of French.

Their friendship then progressed into a romantic one. Having dated each other for a considerable amount of time, the pair took their wedding vows on July 22, 2023, in a ceremony held in Southampton, New York.

In spite of being much talked about among the NBA fans, the two have managed to maintain a good balance between their public and private lives.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anne de Paula Embiid (@annedepaula)

DO JOEL EMBIID AND ANNE DE PAULA HAVE CHILDREN?

Joel and Anne are happy parents of a son named Arthur Elijah de Paula Embiid, who was born on September 17, 2020, almost three years before they got married. The naming of their son holds significant emotional value as he was named after Embiid’s younger brother, who had passed away many years ago.

According to EssentiallySports,De Paula has also highlighted the strong bond shared by Embiid and their child and discussed how their son becomes emotional when his father plays basketball.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian model is still following her dreams in her career while taking care of their child. She still stays active on Instagram, where she posts about her modeling jobs and travels.

As Embiid faces another tough NBA season, his wife and son continue to be a significant aspect of his life outside of basketball.