Bravo’s Next Gen NYC is quickly becoming a fan favorite, thanks to its cast of grown-up Real Housewives children now navigating careers, friendships, and relationships in the Big Apple.

But the show also introduces viewers to a new wave of reality TV stars who aren’t the children of Teresa Giudice, Kandi Burrus, and Kim Zolciak. One standout if Emira D’Spain, who has quickly become a fan-favorite. While influencers and content creators may already know Emira, some viewers are left wondering about her background, especially since, unlike the more well-known kids on the series, her parents aren’t household names.

Emira D’Spain’s Parents Were Skeptical Of Her Career Choice At First

Emira D’Spain is already well known on social media for her “Get Ready With Me” videos, globe-trotting influencer photo shoots, and signature girly fashion style. With over 200,000 followers on Instagram and more than one million on TikTok, the beauty guru has built an impressive online presence. Now, she’s bringing her star power to Bravo’s Next Gen NYC, where fans love watching the model navigate friendships, city life, and major career moves in New York City.

But even some of Emira’s biggest fans may not know much about her family. Unlike most of her Next Gen NYC castmates — including Gia Giudice, Ariana Biermann, Riley Burruss, and Brooks Marks — Emira isn’t the child of a Real Housewives star.

According to Bravo, the 28-year-old influencer was born in Dubai to a mom and dad in finance and engineering. However, they later moved to Dallas, Texas, where she attended a fine arts school. Emira attended New York University and worked for Paper Magazine as a beauty editor. She told Elite Daily that it was her mother who inspired her to pursue beauty. “My mom is a beauty queen, and I’d watch her get ready,” she told the outlet.

It was while she was attending NYU that she got serious about the world of cosmetics. “I started taking beauty seriously and doing looks on myself in college. People always ask if I went to school for it, but it was literally trial and error,” she said. “I’ve had many fails. You can Google them. But you know what? We live and we learn and we grow.”

Emira’s “Get Ready With Me” videos quickly gained traction on social media, and she told her parents she truly believed she could turn it into a career. However, her parents remained skeptical about how stable a future as an influencer could really be. In 2022, she landed a major collaboration with Victoria’s Secret, and became the first Black transgender model for the brand, a milestone that validated her ambitions. It wasn’t long before they were fully supporting her. “I would just hope people realize that it’s more work than just posting,” she told Elite Daily.

Emira Has Shared “Get Ready With Me” Videos With Her Mom

Although not much is publicly known about Emira’s family, they’ve supported her career path. Her mother, in particular, has been incredibly encouraging and has even made appearances in Emira’s popular “Get Ready With Me” videos — giving fans a rare glimpse into her personal life and showcasing just how stunning her mom is.

In March 2024, fans got to see just how stunning her mother was when Emira did a “GRWM” video. Emira asked her mom questions about her life while doing her mother’s makeup. Her mother shared that the family moved to the United States when Emira was one. Asked how “Emira was when she was a child,” her mother responded, “Wouldn’t take no for an answer … always be first in any way. Very compassionate.”

Emira Opened Up About Gender Confirmation Surgery In 2023

Having such a huge fan base thanks to her social media videos, she decided to open up to those same fans about her gender confirmation surgery in 2023. In a TikTok (via E! News), she shared, “Come with me to get a vagina. Today I officially get gender confirmation surgery and, you guys, I’m really excited.”

She added, “For those of you who don’t know, gender confirmation surgery is something I have wanted since I was literally like 10,” she revealed. “It’s a very lengthy, intense recovery but if anyone can do it, it’s 1,000 percent me.”

In an interview wtih E! News, Emira also shared how she had never felt like a boy when she was growing up. “I never really thought I was a boy ever,” she shared. “And I feel like no one around me ever thought that either, which is a blessing to grow up like that. I feel like that’s not the case for a lot of trans people, which breaks my heart. But it’s also why I do what I do.”

When Emira first launched her TikTok account, she made a conscious decision not to center her content solely around her identity as a transgender woman. While she’s always been open about her journey, she wanted her platform to reflect all aspects of who she is — her love for beauty, fashion, travel, and everyday life.

Emira’s Bravo bio reads:

“Ambitious, driven and always two steps ahead, Emira lives life on her own terms and never apologizes for her success,” reads the bio. “She usually stays above the fray when drama unfolds, but this summer, balancing romance and friendship loyalties might disrupt her perfectly planned hustle.”

“I’ll casually throw it in the mix of the content, and people will be like, ‘Oh my god, I didn’t actually know you were trans,'” she said to E! News. “It’s so crazy that people have such a preconceived notion about like, what trans-ness is in their mind. And me existing and sharing my life and the content and everything is doing so much to help broaden their perspective of that.”

And, good thing her parents have been her biggest supporters when it comes to her career as a content creator. In November 2024, Emira shared on Instagram that she had purchased a house and a car for her family.

“I BOUGHT A HOUSE…AND A CAR 😭🩷 so eternally grateful, this thanksgiving meant so much to me. i’m so blessed for this life and for all of you – this wouldn’t be possible without all my cunty barbies. don’t worry i’m not leaving NYC! but now i have a HOME for my family and a new car for when i’m back in town ✨ this milestone isn’t just mine, it’s ours. love you,” she captioned her post.