Who Is Amari Bailey's Mom? 6 Things to Know About Johanna Leia (2024)

Basketball can be a family business — and for Amari Bailey’s family, the dream of NBA success has been a long time coming.

Bailey is one of the most promising basketball players in the class of 2022. Currently playing for the University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA) Bruins, the 18-year-old shooting guard could be headed for the NBA one day — potentially as soon as his first season with the Bruins concludes.

Amid Bailey’s rise to the top of his game, his mother, Johanna Leia, has been one of his fiercest cheerleaders in helping him succeed.

“Being a single mother I always wondered how you’ve been able to do the stuff that you’ve done for our family,” the college student praised Leia, 41, via Instagram in May 2020. “Thank you for having those conversations that I didn’t always wanna hear or have and thank you for keeping our beautiful family as one unit. Not a lot of people know about our roller coast journey. Trust none of this was sweet at all.”

He added: “Your resiliency is more admirable in my life and day to day than you may know. Thank you for always being a shoulder I can cry. Our best friend relationship throws many off but I wouldn’t want it any other way tbh😭😭. Not many people if any can say that they have a mother that hold your morals and values. Love u lots mamabear💕.”

The single mother is notable in her own right as a former model, who’s been in the headlines herself due to her career as a reality TV star and a social media influencer.

Leia raised her son — whom she shares with ex Aaron Bailey — in Chicago before eventually moving her brood out West. The Just Living founder and the 50-year-old former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, who also share 7-year-old daughter Savanna, eventually split. Details have not been publicly shared.

While Leia and Aaron continued coparenting their kids, Leia has been the NBA recruit’s No. 1 fan — frequently cheering him on courtside and on social media.

“Honestly, it’s crazy [but] it’s been a long time coming,” she gushed of her son’s success during a radio interview on Chicago’s “The Morning Show 107.5 WGCI” in March. “We left Chicago right before he was supposed to go to high school and Chicago’s paving the way for basketball … and now he’s going to UCLA, it doesn’t get any better.”

Leia, who founded her own sports marketing firm, added: “What’s so dope about UCLA is they are actually supporting their athletes [who] can actually be in uniform. So, he can wear a 10 jersey with UCLA on it and come get a check.”

After the family’s West Coast move, Amari joined the Sierra Canyon High School basketball team — alongside LeBron James’ son Bronny James. While on the team as a freshman, Amari helped the squad win the Open Division state title.

Amari’s basketball prowess even helped him earn the title of Mr. California — given to the best high school basketball player in the state — in February, and Lebron, 37, showed his support. “CongratsNephew!!! Proud of you kid🏆,” the Lakers athlete tweeted at the time.

Scroll down for all the details on why Leia is making her own waves as she supports her superstar son:

Amari was one of the most sought-after players during this year’s NCAA basketball recruiting season. He was a consensus five-star recruit, making him a member of an elite and competitive club. College scouts had their eyes on him long before he committed to the Bruins.

The basketball player previously attracted attention from scouts before even entering high school. During eighth grade, Amari committed to play for DePaul University but de-committed the following year. As a freshman in high school, Amari committed to play for UCLA but changed his mind when coach Steve Alford was fired. In the end, UCLA ended up being Amari’s pick after all, and the player signed to play for the Bruins on February 17, 2021.


“I'm crazy about this game – I'm already telling my coaches I need ... film of every practice, film of every game, break down with the head coach,” Amari gushed of his passion for the game in a press conference in March.

For single mom Leia, Amari’s success is a long time coming. The former Ford model and influencer has been working toward this moment for much of her life as she’s helped build Amari’s platform.

Leia is a hard-working entrepreneur and influencer but does not seem to be a baller like her son. Instead, she’s focused on managing up-and-coming athletes through her Just Living talent agency and watching Amari’s games courtside.

Leia and Aaron welcomed daughter Savanna in 2015. The athletic family all have their own growing Instagram profiles, regularly posting content from their lives on and off the court.

In addition to helping manage Amari’s career, Leia helped share Amari’s talents in front of the cameras long before college scouts came knocking. Their family was featured on the reality show, Bringing Up Ballers, which aired on Lifetime in 2017. The show followed five Chicago-based families as they supported their up-and-coming basketball player sons. A mix between Basketball Wives and Dance Moms, the show featured classic reality fare with the moms often clashing behind the scenes.

While Bringing Up Ballers failed to become the next big reality hit upon its 2017 cancelation, one takeaway from the show was clear: Amari was special. Most of the other featured players were already teenagers, but Amari was only 12 when he was brought on the show and he proved he could take on the best.

While Leia seems mostly satisfied to let Amari soak up the spotlight, she’s been the focus of some attention when it comes to her dating life.

After her longtime relationship with the former football player, Leia notably was linked to Drake last year. At the time, it was reported that the “Hotline Bling” musician, 35, rented out Dodger Stadium for a private dinner date in July 2021. The pair’s romance eventually fizzled that October. Leia has since been linked to Memphis Grizzlies athlete Ja Morant, but neither party has confirmed their relationship.