LeBron James has bowed out of the 2025 Met Gala despite being named honorary chair of the event, with his stunning wife, Savannah James, stepping in to fill his shoes.
In a post to X on May 5, the basketball legend revealed that a knee injury had prevented him from attending. “Unfortunately because of my knee injury I sustained at the end of the season I won’t be able to attend the Met Gala in NY tonight as so many people have been asking and congratulating me on! Hate to miss an historical event! My beautiful powerful Queen will be there holding the castle down as she always has done.”
But what do we know about his leading lady? Here’s everything you need to know about Savannah James, below.
Who Is Savannah James?
Haling from Ohio, Savannah grew up in a supportive house hold, telling Cleveland Magazine that her mum, Jennifer, and dad, JK, always had an open-door policy with their children’s friends. “If they had something going on at home, or they just needed a safe haven, my mom and dad always opened up their doors,” she explained.
Since her humble beginning and meeting her sports star husband in her teen years, she had to adjust to the luxe lifestyle, telling Cleveland Magazine, “When you want me to be on a TV show or walk the red carpet or something, I definitely get a little bit clammy. That’s a bit out of my comfort zone.”
Whilst running her household of five, Savannah tries to always make room in her busy schedule for philanthropic endeavours. In 2017, Savannah launched her mentorship program Women of Our Future, providing one-on-one counselling and support services for young girls in Akron, Ohio. Since 2013, she has also run the annual I PROM-ise Makeover event, offering local Akron students the opportunity to access accessories and dresses for prom that they otherwise can’t afford.
“I’m still a very private person,” she explained in the same interview with Cleveland Magazine. “But these things reflect the passion that I have as far as giving back, the philanthropic part of me. So with those things, I don’t mind stepping out.”
How Long Have Lebron & Savannah Been Together?
On the way to becoming a superstar basketball player, back at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, LeBron met the woman who would soon become his lifelong partner, Savannah Brinson. A cheerleader and softball player from a rival school at the time, LeBron asked the then-16-year-old to a basketball game… and the rest is history!
LeBron & Savannah James' Kids
During LeBron’s rookie season at the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004, the couple fell pregnant with their first child, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. (who now plays basketball alongside his dad on the LA Lakers).
“I was thinking, ‘What am I going to tell my parents? What’s going to happen to his career?'” Savannah revealed in a Harper’s Bazaar interview, per Parade. “I was very scared. I was bawling. But he said, ‘It’s not going to slow me down, and it’s not going to slow you down. We’re going to keep doing what we have to do.'”
A few years on, in 2007, the couple welcomed a second son, Bryce, followed by a daughter, Zhuri in 2014.
The pair tied the knot in a stunning San Diego wedding that stretched across three days in September 2013. With over 200 A-list guests in attendance, the real highlight was Beyoncé and Jay-Z performing “Crazy in Love” at the reception!
