LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNA: We all know Brian Kleinschmidt is a well-known name in the world of reality TV, featuring on the HGTV show, '100 Day Dream Home: Beachfront Hotel,' alongside his wife, Mika Kleinschmidt. We all absolutely adore the power couple of HGTV's '100 Day Dream Home: Beachfront Hotel' show. But, before Brian found his lady love he was in fact, hitched to someone else, but who?
While many fans are familiar with Brian and Mika's love story, not everyone knows that Brian was previously married to someone else. Before meeting Mika, Brian was in a relationship with a woman named Ericka Dunlap. Ericka was a former beauty pageant queen and the first African American woman to be crowned Miss Florida in 2003. The couple got married in 2007, but unfortunately, their marriage didn't last and they eventually divorced in 2011.
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Who is Ericka Dunlap?
As the first African American woman to win the title of Miss America in 2004, Ericka, a true American beauty queen who created history. She was reared in Orlando, Florida, graduated from the University of Central Florida, and attended William R. Boone High School. She won the coveted Miss America title after becoming the first African American woman to be named Miss Florida during her junior year.
Her platform, "United We Stand, Divided We Fall Behind: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion," has had a lasting influence as a trailblazer for best practices in diversity and inclusion. Ericka has appeared on a number of programs, including 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', 'Hollywood Squares', 'Live With Regis and Kelly', and Fox News' 'The O'Reilly Factor', thanks to her intelligence and attractiveness. Her trips to the Middle East while she was Miss America, where she entertained and served American troops for Thanksgiving, solidified her appeal abroad. She has also visited Afghanistan to raise her spirits.
Ericka founded Crown Jewel Consulting, a strategic consulting company with offices in Orlando, as a result of her entrepreneurial energy and commitment to give back. Through the Princess Power Project, her nonprofit, The Crown Jewel Foundation, encourages young girls to develop their social skills and self-awareness.
This legendary beauty queen has broadened her experience base to develop beneficial chances for people and organizations. She is a renowned businesswoman, community activist, host of television programs, and competitor in The Amazing Race. She has given numerous commencement talks, keynote speeches, and seminars on subjects like cultural competency, diversity and inclusion, self-care, and etiquette.
This storied beauty queen has widened her knowledge to provide advantageous opportunities for individuals and organizations. On topics including cultural competency, diversity and inclusion, self-care, and etiquette, she has delivered a number of commencement speeches, keynote addresses, and workshops. She is living proof that anything is attainable with effort, tenacity, and a dash of brilliance.
Brian Kleinschmidt and Ericka Dunlap's time together
At a leadership course held at the University of Central Florida in the past, Brian had the pleasure of meeting Ericka, a stunning and gifted woman. They fell in love because he realized he had discovered something wonderful in her. In the realm of beauty pageants, Ericka had already won the titles of Miss Florida in 2003 and Miss America in 2004. She captured Brian's attention with her grace and beauty, and in 2007 they were wed.
When they participated in The Amazing Race's 15th season as a team in 2009, their love story continued on reality television. They wanted to demonstrate that true love is color-blind because they were the first mixed-race couple to compete on the show. They showed that they were a dynamic team even if they didn't win and finished third.
Brian Kleinschmidt and Ericka Dunlap walking their separate ways
Their romance wasn't meant to endure a lifetime. After a long marriage, Brian and Ericka split in 2011. Brian claimed that their time on The Amazing Race was not the cause of their breakup. Instead, Ericka wanted a vacation from everything because she was dealing with some personal challenges. They both moved on to other chapters in their lives even though their love story was over. The former couple appeared together on a reality tv show 'Amazing Race,' where they participated in together but as soon as the show ended they walked their separate ways to achieve their own goals in life.
There were speculations that the couple split due to the stint on the show itself although, in an interview with Herald Tribune, Erica said, “had some personal stuff going on and she wanted to take a break from everything. Things work out the way they’re supposed to.” Not long after appearing on 'The Amazing Race', Brian and Ericka got divorced, but he insisted that their time on the program had nothing to do with the breakdown of their union.
Ericka remained a role model and a champion for significant issues throughout their divorce. She continued to be active in several civic organizations, mentoring and guiding others in the process. Brian also found love again. He was smitten with Mika when he first met her, and the two later founded their own design and construction business and starred in their own HGTV program that we all know about. This time they will be featuring in two episode specials on '100 Day Dream Home: Beachfront Hotel,' where they will renovate a 12-bedroom hotel room on the Gulf Coast of Florida and fans already can't keep cool.