Juju Castaneda
Juliette "Juju" Castaneda (nickname Juju C.; pen name Juliet C.; born March 21, 1981) is an American media personality, author, actress and businesswoman. She rose to prominence as a main cast member of the VH1 reality television series "" and she subsequently appeared as a supporting cast member on its spin-off show, "". Castaneda released her debut novel, "Secrets of a Jewel", in January 2017. Career. In 2012, Castaneda was reportedly approached by Mona Scott-Young to appear as a cast member on the of VH1's reality television series "", but she turned it down. In April 2014, Castaneda  was featured on rapper Cam'ron's track "Devil" and the song was later included in the extended play, "1st of the Month Vol. 3". She made her New York Fashion Week debut in the fall of 2014, walking for Mark McNairy. In December 2016, Castaneda joined the supporting cast of the of "Love & Hip Hop: New York" after previously making an uncredited cameo in . This season chronicled the launch of her debut novel "Secrets of a Jewel". She was later promoted to the main cast for the and seasons of the show, which explored her adapting "Secrets of a Jewel  into a play, and her business ventures with fellow cast members Safaree and Jonathan Fernandez. Castaneda returned to the show as a supporting cast member for the . Additionally, Castaneda made several appearances on the of " as a friend of Amara La Negra. In 2019, Castaneda made her transition into acting after being cast in the thriller film Don't Shoot the Messenger". She also made a minor appearance in the crime comedy "I Got the Hook-Up 2". Personal life. Castaneda was born in Brooklyn, New York City. She was raised in Miami, Florida after her family relocated there shortly  after her birth. Her parents are both Afro-Cuban immigrants who moved to the United States in 1980. She has an older brother, José Ernesto, and a sister, Jacquelyn, who is currently her manager. At the age of 16, Castaneda moved to Orlando and later worked as a security screener at Orlando International Airport. Castaneda attended Barry University, obtaining both a bachelor's degree in business and a master's degree in public administration. She is also a licensed real estate broker in Florida and the proprietor of a hair care and wig company, Candy Jewels Hair. Castaneda is a  fluent speaker of Spanish and English. She is a vegetarian. After meeting rapper Cam'ron in 2002, the two began dating in 2007. The couple became engaged in 2013, but they later called off their engagement in 2017. Activism. Castaneda is known for being outspoken about her Afro-Latina identity; she has been a proponent for addressing colorism and eurocentrism within the Latin community. She spoke out in support of Amara La Negra, who was criticised by another cast member for sporting an afro on the set of "". In 2018, she stated: In 2016, Castaneda established My Precious Jewels, a nonprofit  organization to help adolescent girls with self-confidence and self-acceptance. In March 2019, she raised $200,000 to donate to an orphanage in Cuba.