Ruby McKenzie
Meleasa Houghton is a celebrated American singer, songwriter, and gospel artist who has won the hearts of millions of people over the years with her amazing voice and singing talent. She is a Grammy nominee who won the Dove Award for Song of the Year in 2015 from the Gospel Music Association.
Although she’s been around for years, Meleasa caught the attention of the public for the first time after he got connected to one of the best gospel singers/worship leaders in the country, Israel Houghton.
Their popularity soared when they announced their decision to settle down as husband and wife and from that time, the two became role models to so many people, including budding singers and songwriters.
However, as time went on, Meleasa and Isreal shocked the world sometime in 2016 when they announced that they have abandoned their marriage after 20 years together. Although their divorce report didn’t go down well with their fans, the former couple decided to still move on with their lives in order to achieve their individual goals and become better persons. Let’s find out what they’ve been up to since then and other facts.
Biography and Profile Summary
| Age/Date of Birth: | 59 years old (March 01, 1964) |
|---|---|
| Height: | 5 feet, 6 inches (1.67 m) |
| Ethnicity/Race: | Mixed |
| Nationality: | American |
| Husband or Boyfriend: | Israel Houghton(married from 1994 to 2016) |
| Parents: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | $3 million |
Meleasa Houghton’s Background
Meleasa is a gospel singer born in the United States of America on March 1, 1964. She is an American citizen but her ethnicity is not yet known to the public. Being a very private individual, Meleasa is yet to reveal a lot about her personal life, family background, educational background, and memorable events in her childhood. It is because of her private nature that the names of her parents, birthplace, and other information about her are still not yet known depite how popular she has grown to be.
If there is one thing that is not hidden about this beautiful singer, it is her love for her parents. Although Meleasa has never mentioned their names publicly, she often showers praises on them for giving her Christian upbringing and for standing by her through thick and thin over the years.
Israel Houghton’s wife (now ex-wife) kicked off her career as a gospel singer and later became a member of the Christian band named Israel & New Breed. The band also features her ex-husband and Ryan Horton as its members.
Meleasa is known to have contributed to the production of the band’s hit songs including Jesus at the Center (2012), To Worship You I Live (2005) Your Presence Is Heaven (2012), Rez Pour, Our God Reigns (2015), and many others. In 2015, Israel’s ex-wife walked home with the GMA Dove Award in the Traditional Gospel Song of the Year category and was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song.
The Begining and the End of Meleasa Houghton’s Marriage to Israel
Israel Houghton and Meleasa met for the first time at Houghton’s ministry in the city of Pittsburgh in the early 1990s. The two eventually got married in 1994 after dating for some months and welcomed 4 children together. Sadly, the American gospel singer and his wife separated in the year 2015 and eventually finalized their divorce the following year, after 20 years together.
What Caused Their Divorce?
In a candid post shared on his Facebook page, Israel Houghton confessed that the reason for their divorce was his “infidelity.” He admitted to “sinning” in his marriage and causing pains to his family. He also revealed that he committed the sin many years before it became a public matter and that they tried to resolve the matter but couldn’t make headway.
Reports have it that Israel Houghton’s relationship with his then-girlfriend named Adrienne was the reason he and Meleasa abandoned their marriage of over 20 years. The gospel singer was accused of dating the young woman while he was still married to Meleasa, a claim he and Adrienne have severally denied. Isreal has always maintained that he started dating Adrienne after he had filed for a divorce from his wife and that he was sincere to his new love about the matter.
Israel’s confession sparked a lot of debate within the Evangelical Christian community. He was indefinitely suspended as the worship leader in his local assembly – The Lakewood Church led by Joel Osteen. People were outraged that such a respected gospel artist could get caught up in such a scandal.
Israel comes across as a pious worshiper and people wondered how he could have fallen victim to such life. It seems the first step towards healing and forgiveness was coming out clean with what he had done.
Although the gospel singer has severally opened up about his failed marriage on various platforms, his ex-wife is yet to publicly share her own side of the story. While Meleasa didn’t say much throughout the scandal and sordid affair, Israel has come out to say that they have maintained their friendship even after the divorce.
Has Israel Houghton or Meleasa Remarried?
The answer is yes for Israel and no for Meleasa. Houghton tied the knot with Adrienne barely 9 months after his divorce with Meleasa was finalized. Their wedding took place on November 11, 2016, in Paris following their engagement on 12th August 2016 at Eiffel Tower, Paris.
In a Facebook post shared in 2016, the gospel singer revealed that he met Adrienne (nee Bailon) sometime in 2014 and that they became friends after working together for some time, adding that they began exploring a dating relationship after he had separated from his wife.
Isreal Houghton’s second wife, Adrienne Eliza Bailon, is a popular television personality, actress, and singer born in New York City, New York, on October 24, 1983. The daughter of an Ecuadorean father called Freddie Bailon and a Puerto Rican mother called Nilda Alicea, Bailon launched her career in 1999. She has starred in several films and TV shows but is best known for co-hosting the daytime talk show The Real.
Prior to her marriage to Houghton, Adrienne dated Rob Kardashian from 2007 to 2009 and was previously engaged to music executive Lenny Santiago after dating him for 6 years. Bailon and Israel Houghton are yet to have their own kids.
Meleasa has not been linked to any man since her marriage to her celebrity ex-husband ended. She seems not to be in a hurry to jump into another friendship or marital relationship with any man. She seems to be focusing on her career, children, and relationship with God after her divorce. It is uncertain if she is seeing anyone right now as she hasn’t shared any information or news concerning her private life.
What Are The Former Couple Up To Now?
Due to his domineering popularity in the music industry, Israel Houghton has been the focus of many people, unlike his wife who has been out of the public eye since they abandoned their marriage. In addition to enjoying a peaceful home with his second wife, the American gospel singer has been working on several projects.
Israel recently released an album titled The Road To DeMaskUs as well as a recording captioned DeMaskUs. In 2019, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program.
Houghton isn’t just a phenomenal singer, he is also a songwriter, and producer famed for his cross-cultural style of Christian music that blends together reggae, rock, gospel, and jazz elements. Israel Houston has over 15 albums and 13 recordings to his name. His songs, which make waves beyond the western borders, have won him 19 prestigious awards including 6 Grammy Awards, 11 GMA Dove Awards, and 2 Stellar Awards.
Meleasa, on the other hand, has been very focused on her career and raising her kids even though she has kept a low-key profile since her marriage crashed. She had 4 children with Israel. They are Mariah and Milan (daughters) and sons named Jordan and Israel Houghton Sonny. Mariah tied the knot to her sweetheart Byron Rideaux in 2016.
| Profile Summary | |
|---|---|
| First Name: | Meleasa |
| Last Name: | Houghton |
| Also Known As: | Meleasa |
| Sex/Gender: | Female |
| Profession: | Gospel Singer |
| Famous For: | Israel Houghton’s ex-wife |
| Colleges/Universities Attended: | N/A |
| Educational Qualifications: | N/A |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Birthday & Zodiac | |
| Age/Date of Birth: | 59 years old (March 01, 1964) |
| Zodiac Sign: | Pisces |
| Birth Place: | United States of America |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity/Race: | Mixed |
| Country of Residence: | United States of America (USA) |
| Physical Attributes | |
| Height: | 5 feet, 6 inches (1.67 m) |
| Weight: | 53 kg (116 lbs) |
| Eye Colour: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Other Body Measurements: | N/A |
| Relationships | |
| Marital Status: | Divorced |
| Spouse/Partner: | She was married to Israel Houghton (1994 – 2016) |
| Family and Relatives | |
| Father: | N/A |
| Mother: | N/A |
| Children: | 4 Children – Mariah, Israel, Jordan and Milan. |
| Siblings: | She has 2 siblings: Gil – Brother and Ruby – Sister |
| Other Relatives: | N/A |
| Net Worth | |
| Estimated Net Worth: | $3 million |
| Salary: | N/A |
| Source of Wealth: | Album sales |
