We recently connected with Zyrelle Fortenberry and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Zyrelle , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I ran away at 17 years old in search of love. Unfortunately, the relationship ended in nothing but hurt and tears. Seeking better education and a distraction from my heartbreak, I moved to a small town in Georgia. Initially, things seemed to improve until they took a turn for the worse. I met a man who I believed was trustworthy. Our relationship started wonderfully, offering relief from the sorrow of my past. However, one afternoon, his demeanor shifted from warm to cold, and his hands became something I feared. There was a time when he beat me so severely that my face turned black and blue; this occurred as I was turning 19. Confused and young, I lost my apartment and my job, leading to homelessness. From there, things only spiraled further downhill. His violence became more frequent, and one day he beat me until my face was disfigured. A part of me didn’t want to leave because I felt somehow responsible, so we ended up staying together in motels, marking the most terrifying period of my life. Despite loving someone who seemed to harbor hatred for me, I found myself praying to God for six consecutive nights and mornings. God answered my prayers in various forms, through different people whom I am grateful to have met.
When I finally left, I did not harbor hatred in my heart. I still paid off the motel rooms, decided to help people in the neighborhood, and ensured he had food and that his mother could still contact him. This experience definitely left scars, but it reminded me in the end that prayer works.
This harrowing experience did not leave me broken. Instead, it taught me to stand up for myself, to embrace confidence, and to never place myself last. I am now a published model, promoter, and a digital creator.
The lesson I aim to impart is that even when life becomes challenging and difficult, there is always a storm before the rainbow. Therefore, never give up and remain consistent, even when those close to you try to bring you down and make you feel worthless.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
So, I got into modeling and media content creation when I was moving from Georgia to Raleigh. I met a lot of amazing people who were very interested in these things, so I decided to take modeling more seriously over the years. What separates me from others is that I’m not in competition with anybody else, I’m just in competition with myself. I aspire to be better and to encourage other young women and even young men that you should never let an obstacle in your life stop you from achieving something. Just get out of the house and do it! Life is so short and everybody has their own opinions, so never let somebody else’s dilemmas stop you. I am very proud of the runways I have been a part of and the brands that I have worked with.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My audience came from a lot of travel and networking events. I got into call casting events that paid me money and had bigger platforms, so that’s something that people should look into while trying to build their portfolio or audience.
Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?
Before I moved to North Carolina, I had met somebody in Georgia who was a model agent based in Miami, and I had known them since I first came to America. In 2022, they decided to visit me in Charlotte. They took me out to a nice dinner and showed me all these brands and how much they were willing to pay, which excited me because I was ready to take the next step in my career.
I introduced him to all my friends, who expressed a bad feeling about him, but I didn’t take precautions because I had known him for so long. He took me to Miami, and about four hours into the car ride, he started acting weird and asking me questions like “Is your phone on?” and “Does anybody have your location?” I told him no, but in reality, I had sent my location to my friend.
He took me all the way to Miami and got me a really nice Airbnb. He informed me that I had a model casting with a Drake clothing brand. The following day, after he got me the Airbnb, I didn’t see him for the rest of the day or night. Just before I stopped hearing from him, he was trying really hard to get me to go to a strange island they called “celebrity island” in Miami. I had a bad feeling, so I refused to get in the car with him and told him I would wait for him to come back. However, he didn’t return. The next morning, two men in a white van pulled up in front of the hotel and asked for me. Something told me not to go anywhere without being in the public eye. Later, I found out that he was arrested for sex trafficking crimes.
Fortunately, I had really good friends, so I ended up back home safe and sound. This incident goes to show that in this industry, things can be very dangerous for a woman. It’s always good to have a group with you and to make sure you check your resources before leaving with anyone, even if you’ve been friends with them for years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/ratedzazaxx?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=a1dc0b6f-0930-4481-ba57-31b32b12efae
- Instagram: https://tr.ee/ilwI_IjNrm