Melyssa Ford

Born Melyssa Savannah Ford, was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 7, 1976. After completing her studies in forensic psychology at Toronto’s York University, she left Toronto and traveled to New York City with only twenty-five dollars and two packed suitcases, telling herself that she would give New York City three months before returning to her home in Canada. Ford had already appeared on numerous music videos and had done a great deal of modeling, but decided to move on to seek bigger fame and a path into the entertainment industry. Her one way ticket not only led her to the Big Apple, but it also led her to a career as a highly sought after model, an accomplished actress in a wide variety of formats, a satellite radio host, a columnist, a public speaker, a philanthropist, and a role model for young women all across the globe.

In Melyssa Ford’s work as a model, she has appeared in such magazines as Playboy, FHM, Maxim, Smooth, XXL, and XXL Eye Candy, among others, and along with her modeling appearances provides content for Smooth in her Jessica Rabbit sex and relationships advice column, which she has written for since 2002 and is the magazine’s most popular column. Along with her many pictorial features in these magazines, she has also appeared on the cover of Smooth, as well as the cover of King, Cycle Dreams Magazine, and six times on the cover of Black Men magazine.

Ford has also made a name for herself by appearing in movies, television, music videos, and reality programs. Melyssa Ford’s television career has included appearances on HBO’s Emmy Award winning “Entourage,” CW’s “The Game,” Showtime’s Emmy Award Nominated “Soul Food,” ESPN’s “Playmakers,” UPN’s “Platinum,” and most recently BET’s “The Black Poker Stars Invitational” with Eddie Griffin, Orlando Jones, and Mekhi Phifer. Ford was also a host of “BET Style” on Black Entertainment Television for two years, a program that was created specifically with Ford in mind, and was a host on that station’s “How I’m Livin’” in 2004. Melyssa Ford also hosted an Internet show called “Lifestyles of the Phat and the Phabulous.” “Lifestyles” was an Internet show produced by Herve Pierre, Vice President of Bad Boy Entertainment.
melyssa ford

Ford was further recently featured on “Byte Me: 20 Hottest Women of the Web,” which appeared on E! Entertainment Television. Melyssa Ford was named number ten by E!, coming out on top of Cindy Margolis, Jenn Sterger, the girls of the Lingerie Bowl, Lara Croft, Jennifer Nicole Lee, Layla Kayleigh, the Olly Girls, Candice Michelle, Somaya Reece, and the Trashy Lingerie Girls. Others who appeared on the list included the likes of Dita Von Teese, the Obama Girl, and Olivia Munn.

Melyssa Ford has also been asked to speak on discussion panels with organizations such as the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, a non-profit organization made up of musicians, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents, and youth leaders, that was created to allow hip hop music to aid in educatio advocacy and other societal concerns facing young people around the world. Ford has also spoken with the Congressional Black Caucus, a nonprofit public policy, research, and educational institute whose goal is to improve the socioeconomic circumstances of African Americans as well as other communities. She has further spoken with the University of Chicago’s Center for Race Culture and Politics, or the CSRPC, which is an interdisciplinary program that promotes scholarship and debate around the topics of race and ethnicity. Lastly, Ford took part in Essence Magazine’s Take Back the Music Campaign. Ford has also appeared on ABC Nightly News; CNN, where she was interviewed by Soledad O’Brien for the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and MSNBC, on that station’s African American Women’s Series.

Ford’s movie career includes the film “Turn it Up” with Ja Rule, Jason Statham, “Psyche,” “God’s Prayer,” and “Three Can Play That Game” with Vivica A. Fox. In 2008, Ford appeared in “Love for Sale” with Mya and Jackie Long of “ATL,” Jason Weaver, and Jackie Long, and “Days of Wrath” with Taye Diggs, Laurence Fishburne, Jesse Garcia, Doug Hutchison, Wilmer Valderrama, and Amber Valetta. In “Days of Wrath,” Ford plays a role for which she was specifically approached to play the significant other of the film’s main character, which is portrayed by Valderrama. In 2009, Ford was in the blockbuster film “My Bloody Valentine 3-D,” a remake of the 1981 film “My Bloody Valentine,” which also starred Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, and Kerr Smith.


Her music video appearances, a result of having been discovered while tending bar at a nightclub by music video director Little X, have been with artists such as Jay-Z for his “Big Pimpin” video; Ghostface Killah, in the video for “Cherchez La Ghost;” Mystikal, in the “Shake Ya Ass” video; Sisqo, in the “Thong Song Remix” video; Alicia Keys, for her “You Don’t Know My Name” video; R. Kelly, in his “Happy People” music video; and Usher, for his “Yeah!” video, which also featured Lil John and Ludacris, just to name a few.

She has also lent her voice to the Electronic Arts hip-hop video game “Def Jam: Icon” and has served as an official spokeswoman for Apple Bottom, a woman’s clothing line created by Nelly. She has appeared on numerous calendars and in 2004 launched her first solo calendar called Melyssa’s 2004 Calendar. She also released a Making of the Calendar DVD, which was marketed commercially with great success. Her second calendar was produced in 2006, along with a DVD project, due to the great success of the original.

Ford is also currently performing a stint as a host on Sirius Satellite Radio, a role she has held since the summer of 2007. Her work with Sirius is as a radio host on Hot Jamz, channel 50 on weekdays from noon to six.

Melyssa Ford is currently working on a documentary, outlining her early life and her celebrity. Further, she is currently working on a book, targeted to young women, helping them to understand the importance of setting and reaching for their goals. Ford is also presently developing a fitness based television program.

Ford is also presently the Chief Executive Officer of Wicked Star, based out of New York City.

In her personal life, Ford is an avid volunteer and animal rights promoter. In the past, she has volunteered for such agencies as Kitty Kind, a New York City based not for profit group that rescues cats and finds adoptive homes for them; the Toronto Wildlife Centre, an organization that lends help to wild animals in the Toronto area, providing them with medical care; and the Toronto Humane Society, which works to promote the proper treatment of animals and to prevent animal cruelty. She currently promotes the Less is More Foundation, an organization that promotes literacy, awareness, etiquette, strength, and confidence in young women aged thirteen to thirty. Ford has stated that she co-founded this organization with her former manager in order to provide women who are in transitional points in their lives with positive role models who can help them to attain their goals.

Melyssa is rumored to have had romantic relationships with Sean Combs, whose bar she tended in her early days in New York City; model / actor/ rapper Tyrese Gibson; Bryan Michael Cox, a songwriter and record producer who has co-written and produced singles for artists such as Mariah Carey, Tamia, Danity Kane, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, and Usher; New York Jets’ safety Kerry Rhodes; and Wilmer Valderrama, from television’s “That 70s Show” and with whom she appeared in “Days of Wrath.” The current rumor circulating is that Melyssa is dating rapper Flo Rida, whom she met both while hosting a record release party of his in Miami and through an interview on her Sirius Satellite Radio show. Ford has stated that she will not comment on the nature of her relationships.

Ford attended York University in Toronto, garnering a degree in forensic psychology. Her ultimate goal while studying in this field was to work for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS. At the CSIS, she had hoped to work in the behavioral science unit in order to develop character profiles on high profile criminals and sex offenders. Her minor field of study at York University was English Literature. While enrolled at York University, Ford also tended bar on the weekends and worked in the human resources department of a satellite television company.

In her spare time, Ford enjoys boxing, racing cars, and racing motorcycles. She lists her favorite books as “Trying to Sleep in the Bed You Made” by Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant, “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, and “For One More Day” by Mitch Alborn. She lists her heroes as Vanessa Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper, Barack Obama, and Christiane Amanpour. Her religious views are agnostic. She is currently unmarried and has no children.

Melyssa Ford currently has two MySpace pages that allows her to keep in touch with her fans. The sites are located at: myspace.com/melyssafordfansite and http://www.myspace.com/mford_thepioneer, and are kept updated on a fairly regular basis. She also has inspired numerous fan sites throughout the World Wide Web.

In her professional life, Melyssa Ford has shown the world that beauty and brains can go together and that with hard work and perseverance, it is possible to go all the way to the top. In her personal life, Melyssa Ford has proven herself to be worthy of the title of role model, giving of herself to other generously and not forgetting the under priviledged in this world despite her massive rise to fame.