Charlie Villanueva never really lived up to his potential while playing for the Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and Dallas Mavericks.
He is best remembered for raising awareness about alopecia universalis, a skin disease that prevents hair growth on the body. Villanueva is a spokesperson for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.
Villanueva and Lala married in July 2021 after dating for many years
Villanueva proposed to Lala, who shares a birthday with the former NBA star, at Nick & Sam’s, the venue of their first date. The couple planned to wed in July 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic forced them to delay the nuptials for a year.
Lala and Villanueva were surrounded by friends and family when they wed on 24th July 2021. “Our special number is 24, which is why our wedding date is special to us,” they told Modern Luxury. “The presence of all our loved ones after such a hard year,” the couple described their favorite moment.
Villanueva and Lala dedicated heartfelt messages to each other on their wedding anniversary. The former Raptors star wrote:
“Let’s continue to write our story, and I’m so blessed and thankful to walk this journey with you. I will forever choose you yesterday, today and tomorrow. Happy Anniversary to US. This is just the beginning, cheers to another year.”
“I will always choose you,” Lala wrote. “Forever grateful God brought you here and placed you by my side. I still have never been so sure of anything before like I am in these moments living life next to you. For better or for worse are so much more than only words.”
The couple shares two children, CJ and Aliyah, and two dogs
Villanueva and Lala’s son, CJ, was the ring bearer at his parents’ wedding. CJ, nearly as tall as his 6’1” father, plays basketball for the Haldimand Huskies in Canada. Villanueva manages his son’s career, and per his posts, the goal is for CJ to make it to the NBA.
CJ’s sister, Aliyah, was a flower girl at her parent’s wedding. She and CJ occasionally feature on Villanueva’s Instagram page. On 25th July 2022, Villanueva captioned an Instagram video:
“Big believer in giving your loved one their flowers while they still here, or in this case stars. I asked her what the 5 stars symbolizes. She said, CJ, Aliyah, Me, and Her.”
Two dogs complete the family of six. “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family wrapped up in each other,” Villanueva captioned a Christmas post.
Lala, a real estate agent based in Texas, is a former sports broadcaster
Lisette ‘Lala’ Villanueva was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where she works as a real estate agent. Per Linkedin, Lala was a sports broadcaster at Time Warner Cable from January 2014 to March 2017.
Lala joined the real estate industry in January 2018 via her company, Vibes & Vibes design. The about section on her Linkedin page reads: “[Lala] has deep roots in the community she loves and serves, and her understanding of the market’s nuances is one that can only be acquired with a lifetime of firsthand experience.”