Career
In 2012, Castaneda was reportedly approached by Mona Scott-Young to appear as a cast member on the third season of VH1's reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York , but she turned it down. [2] In April 2014, Castaneda was featured on rapper Cam'ron's track "Devil" and the song was later included in the extended play, 1st of the Month Vol. 3 . [3] [4] She made her New York Fashion Week debut in the fall of 2014, walking for Mark McNairy. [5]
In December 2016, Castaneda joined the supporting cast of the seventh season of Love & Hip Hop: New York after previously making an uncredited cameo in season 6. [6] This season chronicled the launch of her debut novel Secrets of a Jewel. [7] She was later promoted to the main cast for the eighth and ninth seasons of the show, [8] which explored her adapting Secrets of a Jewel into a play, [9] and her business ventures with fellow cast members Safaree and Jonathan Fernandez. [10] [11] Castaneda returned to the show as a supporting cast member for the tenth season. [12] Additionally, Castaneda made several appearances on the first season of Love & Hip Hop: Miami as a friend of Amara La Negra. [13]
In 2019, Castaneda made her transition into acting after being cast in the thriller film Don't Shoot the Messenger. [14] She also made a minor appearance in the crime comedy I Got the Hook-Up 2 . [15]
Personal life
Castaneda was born in Brooklyn, New York City. [16] She was raised in Miami, Florida after her family relocated there shortly after her birth. [17] Her parents are both Afro-Cuban immigrants who moved to the United States in 1980. [18] [19] She has an older brother, José Ernesto, [20] and a sister, Jacquelyn, who is currently her manager. [21] At the age of 16, Castaneda moved to Orlando and later worked as a security screener at Orlando International Airport. [22] [23] Castaneda attended Barry University, obtaining both a bachelor's degree in business and a master's degree in public administration. [24] [25] [26] [27] She is also a licensed real estate broker in Florida and the proprietor of a hair care and wig company, Candy Jewels Hair. [28] [29]
Castaneda is a fluent speaker of Spanish and English. [30] She is a vegetarian. [31] [32]
After meeting rapper Cam'ron in 2002, the two began dating in 2008. [33] The couple became engaged in 2013, [34] but they later called off their engagement in 2017. [35]
Activism
Castaneda is known for being outspoken about her Afro-Latina identity; [36] she has been a proponent for addressing colorism and eurocentrism within the Latin community. [37] [38] She spoke out in support of Amara La Negra, who was criticised by another cast member for sporting an afro on the set of Love & Hip Hop: Miami . [39] In 2018, she stated:
We're Afro-Latinas, we're here to stay, and we have little girls looking up to us. [40] [...] My Afro-Latina identity is such a huge part of who I am and I know Amara is the same way. I don’t ever want this industry to beat that out of her or any other young woman. [...] I want her to be proud and to embrace her identity, with whatever makes her comfortable and makes her feel beautiful. [41]
In 2016, Castaneda established My Precious Jewels, a nonprofit organization to help adolescent girls with self-confidence and self-acceptance. [42] In March 2019, she raised $200,000 to donate to an orphanage in Cuba. [43]
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