The former Grey’s Anatomy actor Jesse Williams, who went through a very difficult divorce with his ex-wife, Arin Drake-Lee, is currently dating Ciarra Pardo. According to Radar Online, the couple has been in a relationship since at least February 2022, when Williams referred to Pardo as his “longtime girlfriend.” He’s apparently known her since at least 2018, and that information comes from Williams and Drake-Lee’s court documents. And while Williams isn’t exactly spreading the word about his relationship with Pardo, you can’t say they’re hiding anything. Over the past few years, the paparazzi have caught them spending time together on more than one occasion.
As Just Jared reports, Williams and Pardo went on a date in Los Angeles in June 2023. They dressed in semi-fitted outfits with each other: light jeans, neutral-colored shirts and dark jackets. According to the Daily Mail, a year earlier the couple attended an Italian dinner in Manhattan. According to the publication, the lovers were spotted on the street at the height of Williams’ custody battle with his ex-wife. However, despite their public outings, Williams and Pardo haven’t spent much time promoting their relationship on social media. Then again, they’re both very busy with their careers – especially Pardo.
Ciarra Pardo has earned the much-coveted title of Jesse Williams’ girlfriend, but she’s actually earned much cooler titles. For example, Pardo is the president of Los Angeles Fashion Week. Sure, she’s the ultimate boss, but that’s not her only role. Los Angeles Fashion Week is run by N4XT Experiences, a company she co-founded, according to Pardo’s LinkedIn. According to the company’s website, she “works at the intersection of fashion, beauty, gaming and entertainment.” Given Pardo’s qualifications, one might assume she graduated from an elite fashion school, but that wasn’t her path.
According to the Fashion Tech Forum, Pardo took a different path, first taking a job in finance and technology. She eventually switched to the entertainment industry, working as a creative director at Island Def Jam. During an interview with Penta in December 2022, Pardo talked about her career trajectory. “I came from the world of creative directors,” Pardo revealed during the interview. ” I was blessed to work in beauty, fashion, entertainment, and technology. I saw the immense power of integrating these worlds.”
In the past, Ciarra Pardo has been Rihanna’s right-hand woman. If her LinkedIn is to be believed, Pardo served as chief creative officer of Fenty Corp from 2014 to 2019, but her history with her former boss began much earlier. In an interview with Penta, Pardo revealed that she got the job at Fenty Corp after working as the singer’s creative director at her agency GraviteCreative, for several years. However, while Rihanna’s star power and beauty helped Fenty Corp achieve global success, “it wasn’t as easy as it seemed,” Cardo shared. “She taught me a crash course in beauty and fashion.”
Pardo hasn’t worked under Rihanna for a few years – her position as president probably doesn’t leave her much time – but she’s still very fond of her former boss and friend. So in February 2019, Pardo wished Rihanna a happy birthday, describing their entire professional relationship. “‘To summarize… Going from A to B, building C, striking E and planning the rest of the d**n alphabet,” Pardo wrote on Instagram. ” Proudly looking at my 31st year! Celebrating 13 years in business and smiling at lifelong friendships. Mom, happy birthday, love you always.” However, in January 2022, Pardo mentioned Rihanna’s name in an interview with WWD, saying that the two are still close friends.