Dwight Howard's Love Story: From the Public Drama with Royce Reed to His Brief Marriage with Amy Luciani

Dwight Howard, the towering NBA star known for his dominant presence on the court, has also navigated a complex and often public romantic life. His journey through relationships has been marked by high-profile partners, multiple children, and periods of both intense scrutiny and personal privacy. Howard is a father to five children, each from a different mother, a fact that has frequently drawn media attention to his personal affairs.

One of Howard's earliest and most turbulent relationships was with Royce Reed, a dancer and reality television personality known for her appearance on VH1's Basketball Wives. Their relationship began in the early 2000s, even before Howard's NBA career took off. Despite initial chemistry, their time together was fraught with infidelity, leading to a split. However, they reconciled briefly, resulting in the birth of their son, Braylon, in 2007. The co-parenting journey for Braylon has been anything but smooth, characterized by extensive legal battles and public feuds. Howard famously filed a $500 million lawsuit against Reed in 2010, accusing her of violating a court-imposed gag order by discussing him publicly. More recently, in 2023, Reed reignited public discourse by accusing Howard of sexual and physical abuse, sharing her grievances on social media after the gag order was lifted, though Howard denied these allegations.

Following his relationship with Reed, Howard was linked to several other women, many of whom are mothers to his other children. He dated Tiffany Render, with whom he shares a daughter, Layla, born in 2010. Their relationship reportedly spanned from 2008 to 2010. Around the same time, Howard was also in a relationship with fitness model Hope Alexa, the mother of his daughter, Jayde, also born in 2010. This relationship was reported to have lasted from 2009 to 2011.

Another significant relationship was with Christine Vest, who is the mother of his son, Dwight David Jr. (Trey), born in 2013. There were reports that Howard and Vest were engaged at one point, though details surrounding their relationship and its conclusion remain largely private. Howard also had a son, David, with Melissa Rios. Tragically, Rios passed away in March 2020 due to an epileptic seizure, leaving David in Howard's care.

In more recent years, Howard's romantic life continued to be a subject of public interest. He became engaged to WNBA player Te'a Cooper. Their relationship began in October 2018, and they announced their engagement in 2019. The couple reportedly married in November 2020, but their union was short-lived. They separated in April 2021 and subsequently divorced, concluding their marriage after just five months. Cooper has since moved on, dating NFL player Alvin Kamara.

Most recently, Dwight Howard entered into a whirlwind marriage with rapper and reality star Amy Luciani. The couple's engagement was announced in December 2024, with Luciani sharing the news on social media, expressing her gratitude for Howard, whom she affectionately called a "> Bible totin, tattood giant with the same heart as me." Their marriage quickly followed on January 11, 2025, in a private ceremony. However, the union proved to be incredibly brief. Just six months later, in July 2025, Luciani filed for divorce, citing that the marriage was "> irretrievably broken" with "> no prospects for reconciliation." A mutual restraining order was also filed shortly after.

Throughout his career, Dwight Howard's relationships have often played out in the public eye, sometimes overshadowing his athletic achievements. While he has expressed a desire for privacy, the nature of his high-profile career and the complexities of his personal life, particularly concerning his children, have kept his romantic history a frequent topic of discussion. Howard's journey reflects a pattern of intense, sometimes tumultuous, connections, with his most recent marriage ending almost as quickly as it began. As of late 2025, following his divorce from Amy Luciani, Howard's public relationship status is single, as he continues to navigate his professional endeavors and personal life.