{{Short description|Canadian-American hip-hop model, actress, and television personality (born 1976)}} {{Infobox model | name = Melyssa Ford | image = MelyssaFordMar05.jpg | alt = | caption = Ford in March 2005 | birth_name = Melyssa Savannah Ford | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|11|7}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | nationality = | other_names = | citizenship = | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist|Media personality|actress|video vixen}} | years_active = 1997–present | height = {{height|ft=5|in=4}}<ref name="nyt-05-04"/> | hair_color = Brown | eye_color = Light brown | website = {{url|https://www.melyssaford.com}} }}
'''Melyssa Savannah Ford''' (born November 7, 1976) is a Canadian media personality, actress, and former video vixen.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web |author1=American Morning |title=Black in America: Video Vixens Too Revealing? |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ltm/date/2008-07-24/segment/02 |website=CNN |access-date=June 28, 2024 |date=July 24, 2008}}</ref><ref name="nyt-05-04">{{cite web |last1=Century |first1=Douglas |title=How to Succeed in Videos Without Really Dancing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/02/style/how-to-succeed-in-videos-without-really-dancing.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=June 28, 2024 |date=May 2, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ogunnaike |first1=Lola |title=New Magazines for Black Men Proudly Redefine the Pinup |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/31/arts/new-magazines-for-black-men-proudly-redefine-the-pinup.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=June 28, 2024 |date=August 31, 2004}}</ref>
==Early life== Melyssa Savannah Ford was born on November 7, 1976, in Toronto, Ontario.<ref name="vibe-09-08">{{cite web |title=Melyssa Ford |url=http://www.vibe.com/celebs/vixens/feature.html?id=211 |website=Vibe |access-date=June 28, 2024 |date=September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204021153/http://www.vibe.com/celebs/vixens/feature.html?id=211 |archive-date=December 4, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ford is mixed race, with her father having roots in Barbados, and her mother having Norwegian and Russian ancestry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Melyssa Ford Biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0285783/bio/ |website=IMDb |access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref>
She attended York University, majoring in the field of forensic psychology.<ref name="vibe-09-08"/><ref name="nyt-05-04"/>
==Career== In 1997, music video director Little X discovered Ford, who was 20, while she was working as a bartender at a Toronto nightclub and helped launch her modelling career.<ref name="vibe-09-08"/> She has appeared in music videos, men's magazines, television programs and films.<ref name="nyt-05-04"/> Ford was an on-air personality for Sirius Satellite Radio's Hot Jamz channel.<ref>{{cite web |title=SIRIUS Satellite Radio – Hot Jamz |url=http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Channel&cid=1104779639899&flash=noflash |website=Sirius Satellite Radio |access-date=June 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807190505/http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Channel&cid=1104779639899&flash=noflash |archive-date=August 7, 2007 |quote=Hot Jamz is about to get a lot hotter: Melyssa Ford has joined our squad! |url-status=dead}}</ref> She formerly sold a line of calendars and a DVD.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ford |title=Naked |pages=219–220 |chapter=Calendar Girl}}</ref>
In a 2008 CNN interview, Ford explained that when making music videos she often asked herself whether she was "perpetuating a negative stereotype" about black women. When she was asked whether music videos, overall, are "demeaning to women", Ford replied, "Yes, I definitely have to say that".<ref name="CNN"/>
From June 2014 to January 2015, Ford participated in the Bravo Network television series ''Blood, Sweat & Heels'', documenting her social life against the background of her struggles of becoming a realtor in New York.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Settembre |first1=Jeanette |title='Blood, Sweat and Heels' follows six black New York City women on the rise |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/blood-sweat-heels-black-new-york-city-women-rise-article-1.1561676 |website=New York Daily News |access-date=June 28, 2024 |date=December 31, 2013}}</ref>
In 2016, Ford became a co-host of ''Hollywood Unlocked'', a Los Angeles-based hip-hop and pop culture radio show. Ford returned to the show in April 2019 following her car accident in June 2018. In November 2019, Ford launched a podcast on YouTube called ''I'm Here for the Food''.<ref>{{cite web |title=I'm Here For The Food |url=https://www.youtube.com/@ImHereForTheFood |website=YouTube |access-date=June 28, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The podcast featured a host of guests and covered a range of topics, including colourism, human trafficking, and forgiveness. The podcast last aired in November 2020. On August 24, 2020, Ford announced she would no longer be co-hosting ''Hollywood Unlocked''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Alyssa |title=Melyssa Ford Returns & Discusses Grief & Goodbye on Hollywood Unlocked [UNCENSORED] |url=https://hollywoodunlocked.com/melyssa-ford-returns-discusses-grief-goodbye-on-hollywood-unlocked-uncensored/ |website=Hollywood Unlocked |access-date=June 28, 2024 |date=August 24, 2020}}</ref>
In 2022, after several years in Los Angeles, Ford moved back to the New York metropolitan area, and from December 2022 to September 2025, she co-hosted ''The Joe Budden Podcast'' alongside broadcaster and former rapper Joe Budden. On November 1, 2024, Ford premiered a new podcast called ''Hot and Bothered with Melyssa Ford'' focused on wellness and lifestyle practices for women over 40.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-04 |title=Melyssa Ford To Remove The Shame, Bring The Sexy To Menopause Conversation With 'Hot And Bothered' Podcast |url=https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/melyssa-ford-menopause/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Essence |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2025, Ford was mentioned in the song 'Gimme a Hug' by Drake, featured on his album ''Some Sexy Songs 4 U''. <ref>{{Citation |title=Drake – GIMME A HUG |url=https://genius.com/Drake-gimme-a-hug-lyrics |access-date=2025-03-25}}</ref>
==Personal life== In June 2018, Ford was seriously injured in a car crash involving an 18-wheeler truck. She suffered a skull fracture and concussion.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fernández |first1=Alexia |title=Former Bravo Star Melyssa Ford Seriously Injured in Horrific Crash with 18-Wheeler Truck |url=https://people.com/tv/melyssa-ford-survived-crash-18-wheeler-truck/ |website=People |access-date=June 28, 2024 |language=en |date=July 3, 2018}}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2000 | ''Turn It Up'' | Deborah | |- | 2004 | ''Psyche'' | Kenya | Short film |- |rowspan=2| 2007 | ''God's Prayer'' | Dr. Jasmine Gray | |- | ''Three Can Play That Game'' | Candy | |- |rowspan=2| 2008 | ''Love for Sale'' | Katherine | |- | ''Days of Wrath'' | Lisa | |- |rowspan=2| 2011 | data-sort-value="Slap, The" | ''The Slap'' | Puma | Short film |- | ''Video Girl'' | Lala | |- |rowspan=2| 2012 | ''Think like a Man'' | Sleepy Girl | |- | ''Redemption of a Dog'' | Sheila | |- | 2013 | ''Playin' for Love'' | Bella | |- | 2018 | ''The Stuff'' | Denise Washington | |- | 2023 | ''Sworn Justice: Taken Before Christmas'' | Letitia | TV movie |- | 2024 | ''Hunting Housewives'' | Sharell Bouvier | TV movie |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2000 | ''Soul Food'' | Hoochie Mama | 2 episodes |- | 2004–2006 | ''BET Style'' | Herself/Host | Main Host |- | 2005 | ''VH1 News Presents'' | Herself | Episode: "Hip Hop Videos: Sexploitation on the Set" |- | 2007 | ''Entourage'' | Flight Attendant | Episode: "No Cannes Do" |- | 2008 | data-sort-value="Black Poker Stars Invitational, The" | ''The Black Poker Stars Invitational'' | Herself | Main Guest |- | 2009 | ''Played by Fame'' | Herself | Episode: "Sexy, Sensual and Stalker" |- | 2014–2015 | ''Blood, Sweat & Heels'' | Herself | Main cast |- | 2018 | ''Vixen'' | Herself | Main Guest |- | 2019 | ''Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood'' | Herself | Episode: "Pretty Petty" & "Sound Off" |- | 2020–2021 | ''Tough Love: Los Angeles'' | Dena Howard | Recurring cast |}
===Documentary=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2009 | ''Good Hair'' | |- | 2011 | ''Bowl of Dreams'' | |}
===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Song ! Artist |- | 1997 | data-sort-value="Thing to Do, The" | "The Thing to Do" | Glenn Lewis |- |rowspan=3| 1998 | "Anywhere" | 112 featuring Lil' Zane |- | "Northern Touch" | Rascalz featuring Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust, and Choclair |- | "Tommy's Theme" | Made Men featuring The LOX |- |rowspan=2| 1999 | "Let's Ride" | Choclair |- | "This Luv" | Donell Jones |- |rowspan=4| 2000 | "Big Pimpin'" | Jay-Z featuring UGK |- | "Thong Song Remix" | Sisqó |- | "Cherchez LaGhost" | Ghostface Killah featuring U-God |- | "Shake Ya Ass" | Mystikal |- | 2001 | "Knock Yourself Out" | Jadakiss |- | 2003 | "You Don't Know My Name" | Alicia Keys |- |rowspan=2| 2004 | "Happy People" | R. Kelly |- | "Yeah!" | Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris |}
===Video games=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2007 | ''Def Jam: Icon'' | Herself | Voice role and likeness |}
==See also== * Hip hop models
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.melyssaford.com}} * {{IMDb name|0285783}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Melyssa}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Actresses from Toronto Category:Black Canadian actresses Category:Canadian advice columnists Category:Female models from Ontario Category:Canadian infotainers Category:Canadian people of Barbadian descent Category:Canadian people of Russian descent Category:Canadian people of Norwegian descent Category:Canadian television personalities Category:Canadian women journalists Category:Hip-hop models Category:Canadian women columnists Category:York University alumni Category:Canadian women non-fiction writers Category:Canadian women television personalities Category:Participants in American reality television series