Being born a celebrity kid isn’t always rosy. There’s the struggle to fit into your parents’ fame and to meet the public’s expectations. Although not every celebrity kid faces these struggles, Zulekha Haywood is one such kid who had a fair share.
Zulekha Haywood doesn’t just have one celebrity parent but two. Her mother is the legendary supermodel, Iman, and her father, Spencer Haywood, is a former NBA star.
However, despite her struggles, she has managed to create her happiness both personally and career-wise.
This article takes care of all you need about Zulekha, her early life, career, net worth, and family, including how she dealt with her insecurities about her size. So, if you’re curious to know about her, stay till the end.
Zulekha Haywood Biography
Zulekha Haywood is the only child of Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid and Spencer Haywood. She was born on the 5th of July, 1978.
Her mother is a famous supermodel and her father is a former NBA player. Due to her parents’ fame, she was exposed to the media at an early age.
At just a few months old, she’d appeared on the cover of the ESSENCE Magazine alongside her mother in 1979. Also, three years later, she appeared on the cover of the same magazine with her parents.
Unfortunately, when she was only nine years old, her parents separated in 1987, and her father got custody in 1992 after a long court battle.
Zulekha attended Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and after graduation, proceeded to Michigan State University according to her mother’s IMDB profile.
Growing up, Zulekha had struggled with insecurities about her weight. She’d told Glamour how she decided on gastric bypass surgery on her 28th birthday.
She recounted her many years of being an obese teenager, comparing her parents’ natural athletic physique to hers, trying diet plans to exercise, losing and gaining weight, having osteoarthritis, and having difficulty getting out of bed in her twenties.
While she tried to live her life filled with fun and adventures, she knew the many health problems her obesity posed, so she decided on her 28th to take things into her own hands.
Also, before her surgery, Zulekha who had once harbored anger towards her mother because of her strictness with her diet, learned that her mother had been aware that her daughter would be obese at four.
This discovery had changed her feelings towards her mother.
Eighteen months after her surgery, and at 165 pounds and a size 8, Zulekha still struggled to come to terms with her new size and the kind of attention she got. However, she decided not to hide her life or let it define her.
Today, she lives a fulfilled life as a businesswoman.
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Zulekha Haywood’s Career
Zulekha Haywood is a successful businesswoman.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she started her career at her mother’s company, IMAN Cosmetics, in 2004. She worked as a Customer Relationship Manager before being promoted to Planning and Procurement Manager.
She worked there for about ten years before moving to Jay Manuel Beauty as Brand Manager, where she worked for about two and half years.
Zulekha has thrived in the business world, continuously honing her skills, and taking on several worthwhile positions. She currently works as a Procurement Specialist at INVISTA, Wichita, Kansas, USA.
What Is Zulekha Haywood’s Net Worth?
According to several sources, Zulekha Haywood has an estimated net worth of $4.8 million.
Meet Zulekha Haywood Family
Zulekha is the only daughter of Iman and Spencer Haywood. She has four stepsisters from her parents’ marriages.
After her parents’ divorce, her father remarried Linda Haywood in 1990. The union is blessed with three girls, Nikiah, Isis, and Shaakira.
Also, her mother got married to David Bowie and they had a daughter together, Alexandria Zahra Jones. Unfortunately, he died in 2016. Before her marriage to Spencer, Iman was previously married to Hassan for two years.
Furthermore, in 2016, Zulekha herself got married to her longtime lover, Jason Young. The young couple have a daughter, Lavina Rose Young, born in 2017.
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Meet Zulekha Haywood’s Parents
Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid and Spencer Haywood met in 1977 and got married that same year. The two were both established in their career before they met. In 1978, they welcomed their only child together, Zulekha.
The couple were married for ten years before divorcing in February 1987.
Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid was born Zara Mohamed Abdulmajid on the 25th of July 1955 in Mogadishu, Somalia. She was raised as a Muslim and later changed her name to Iman, meaning “faith” in Arabic.
She spent most of her early years in Egypt and briefly studied political science at the University of Nairobi.
Peter Beard, an American Photographer, discovered Iman while she was at the University, and she moved to the United States where she began her career in modeling.
Her debut task was for Vogue magazine the following year in 1976. Soon after, she was seen on the covers of several high-profile magazines, building her fame as a model.
Over the years, she has built a successful modeling career, working with several notable photographers and being a muse to several high-end brands.
Furthermore, she’s a successful businesswoman, having established Iman Cosmetics and Global Chic.
Iman was previously married to Hassan between 1973 and 1975 before her marriage to Spencer.
After her divorce from Spencer Haywood, she got married to David Bowie in 1992 and had a daughter with him, Alexandria Zahra Jones, her second child. Unfortunately, David died in 2016.
On the other hand, Spencer Haywood is a former American basketball player. He was born on the 22nd of April, 1949.
He was from a poor background, but with his talent, he was able to amass wealth for himself and his family. Spencer started playing in High School, leading his school team to state championships.
He proceeded to College and did exceedingly great, making it to the 1968 Olympic team at 19.
Over the years, he grew into one of the finest NBA players, winning several awards.
Spencer didn’t have the best marriage to his first wife Iman. After their divorce, he won custody of their daughter in 1992. He got married to Linda Haywood in 1990, and they have three daughters together.
How Old Is Zulekha Haywood?
Zulekha Haywood, born on the 5th of July, 1978, is currently 45 years old and will turn 46 in 2024.
Where Is Zulekha Haywood Now?
Zulekha Haywood is happily married to her husband, Jason Young, and they have a daughter, Lavina Rose Young. The young mother of one is an established businesswoman.
Final Words
Despite having famous parents, who are naturally athletic in size, Zulekha Haywood struggled with obesity from a tender age, leading to insecurities.
However, she was able to make the bold move, fight her fears and her obesity, and embrace her new figure.
Today the young woman is happily married and is a mother of one. She has created her own identity outside her parents’ fame.
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