Sommer Ray

Sommer Ray (born September 15, 1996) is an American fitness model and Internet celebrity. Formerly a youth competitive bodybuilder and presently diversifying into other endeavors like DJing, Ray gained attention for her membership in the Clout Gang in the late 2010s. Ray further has gained attention for publicly speaking out against the use of performance-enhancing substances in fitness, often being noted for promoting more natural methods. 
== Early life ==
Sommer Ray was born on September 5, 1996, in Colorado. Ray was raised in Larkspur, Colorado, though some sources say she was born in Denver and grew up in Lone Tree. It was at her home on a rural ranch that Ray developed a tenderness for animals, noting her lack of cable television during her childhood. She was homeschooled up to her freshman year of high school, and notes she spent a lot of time outdoors.
Ray's first coach in bodybuilding was her father, Though she attended high school, Ray never graduated, as she dropped out due to excessive bullying. Ray cites "slut-shaming" from not only her school but her entire town for the photos; she perceives her early social media career as the result of hard work and not the sexualization of her character. 
== Career ==
=== Bodybuilding and fitness ===
Ray started competing in bikini bodybuilding at the age of sixteen. In the 2015 NPC Colorado State Championships, she won first place in the teenage and class D categories, as well as 16th place in NPC's national championships. Ray ended competing in shows once she turned 18, citing performance enhancing substances.
Sommer additionally founded Imaraïs in 2017 alongside attorney Felicia Hershenhorn and Nutrabolics cofounder Aaron Hester, a line of notably vegan health gummies which contain chemicals that enhance skin appearance.TIETJEN, A. Influencer Sommer Ray Fronts Ingestible Beauty Line. Women's Wear Daily, [s. l.], p. 7, 2021. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=150718616&site=eds-live&scope=site. Acesso em: 10 ago. 2023. Later, Ray launched a mobile app, Evolve fitness, which she debuted on May 3, 2018. Her endeavors also led to the creation of a line of subscription boxes, titled "Sommethings", which she curates. 
=== Internet career ===
Ray accredits the growth of her social media following with her collaborations with WorldStarHipHop, though places greater emphasis on her lack of performance enhancing drugs and photograph manipulation. Her first brand deal was at age sixteen with Myokore, an online training company where representatives paid Ray to post promotional Instagram material for the company. The model was noted as becoming an icon of Instagram as early as 2017.
From 2017 to 2018, Ray was a member of a content house known as the "Clout Gang", widely seen as a competitor to Jake Paul's "Team 10". The house, founded and mostly used by members of the FaZe Clan, disbanded around 2020, and the property on which the "Clout House" based out of is currently being occupied by the TikTok-centered Hype House. Sommer's net worth was estimated to be in the millions due to her brand deals as a member of the Clout Gang, and the group itself has often seen its messages able to be measured in dollars according to FaZe Clan president Greg Selkoe.
She additionally co-hosted a Studio 71-produced podcast with influencer Amanda Cerny titled OHoney, which originally focused on dating advice and released 50 episodes from January to May 2020. In September 2022, Ray signed an advertising deal with Clubhouse Media Group, an influencer marketing company also affiliated with the family of Charli D'Amelio. As of July 2023, Ray has accumulated over 25 million followers on Instagram and a further 12 million on TikTok. Magazine TheRichest estimated in 2023 that Ray profits US$86,600 per post and has a net worth of US$4.5 million.
=== Music career ===
During Ray's time in the Clout Gang, she cameoed in music videos for songs produced by fellow member RiceGum, whom she also dated during her time in the Clout House. The two stopped dating in 2018, around the same time as Ray's departure from the Clout Gang, though she stated that her breakup with RiceGum was not a reason for her departure.
Ray made her debut as a DJ in 2022 at a private event accompanying that year's Miami Grand Prix, sharing a set with Steve Aoki. She further released her debut single, "Eternal Sommer" in a collaboration with DJ Press Play. The single, written by Ray, DJ Press Play and Oscar Olivio, was criticized for Ray's lack of lyrics and sole appearance on the track being four lines of spoken words.
Ray later performed a set at a daytime pool party hosted by Rob Gronkowski during the weekend preceding Super Bowl LVII. She performed alongside DJs Irie and Bijou, and accompanied event headliners Lil Jon, 21 Savage and Diplo.
== Controversies ==
Ray has often been affiliated with Internet personalities who themselves have received controversies for partaking in purported scams, In 2021, Ray was among the influencers who promoted Save the Kids token, a charitable cryptocurrency altcoin which later turned into a pump and dump. Ray's involvement was only limited to promoting the coin, and an investigation by YouTuber Stephen Findeisen (known online as Coffeezilla) showed that Ray was not among the masterminds of the pump and dump.
== Personal life ==
Ray formerly had a three-month long relationship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly prior to his engagement with actress Megan Fox. Ray commented that she and the rapper never engaged in intimate activity, stating that Kelly "never passed the test" with her on an interview with the podcast Impaulsive. The fitness model further commented that Kelly cheated on her with Fox, though implied that she would do the same thing if she was in Kelly's position.
Ray has stated that she never intends to create an account on the subscription-only platforms OnlyFans despite the estimated $40 million she would make from joining the platform. She expressed that she wishes not to be known solely as an "ass-girl", and she further championed the idea of authenticity on social media through her "Be You" movement. She has used similar language to illustrate her refusal to get plastic surgery despite many firms sending her offers to waive fees for the practice in exchange for promotion, as well as her disdain for competitors in bodybuilding who use steroids and other performance enhancing substances. In furtherance of this commitment, Ray created a second Instagram account which deliberately excludes most edited photos.
Category:1996 births
Category:American people
Category:American models