Nia Sanchez Booko, a star in The Valley, is known for her kindness. She is a mother of three young children, with her fourth on the way, who gained fame by winning Miss USA 2014 and establishing herself as a highly respected figure in the pageant coaching industry. Married to fellow The Valley star Danny Booko since 2015, their relationship serves as an inspiration to others facing marital difficulties.
Recent episodes of the popular Bravo show have presented challenges for the couple. In a prior Halloween episode, Danny’s inappropriate conduct towards Jasmine Goode and her now-fiancée Melissa Moore after a night of drinking sparked concerns and became a point of discussion. In a recent episode, Danny’s late arrival and subsequent intoxication at a winery during a group trip to Santa Barbara led him to pass out before dinner, drawing criticism. Although Nia downplayed the incident, friend Brittany Cartwright, known for her turbulent relationship with Jax Taylor, accused Nia of concealing any issues in her marriage.
During an upcoming episode, Nia confides in the women about her past struggles. Tearfully, she starts to share, “I was homeless with my mom when I was a kid. We were living in a shelter, sleeping on couches, pitching tents in people’s backyards, and collecting cans from trash cans to make ends meet.” The group attentively listens as Nia recounts her experiences.
“I’ve had times that I’ve slept in my own car as an adult,” admits Nia. “I had a job, but I had to sleep in my car in the parking lot where I worked.” The camera then cuts to Nia asking: “How mortifying is that? To wake up to a security guard being like, ‘you need to leave the employee parking lot,’ and having to go sleep at a Ralph’s instead.” As tears pour down her face, Nia reiterates that “life has not been easy, but that’s okay because it’s made me strong.”
“If I can be that point of light and kindness and positivity, I’d rather bring that into people’s lives,” finishes Nia in her confessional. Back at the table, Nia bares her soul to her friends. “I’ve been through so much, but I’ve always chosen to be positive.” “I remember getting into the front seat of my car from sleeping in the backseat and saying, ‘thank you God that I at least have a car.’” As Nia’s words sink in, the women silently support her sharing her story.
“I’ve always had to have that perspective,” says Nia. “My therapist is like, ‘you’ve had to be that way to survive.’” As Kirsten Doute gives her a big hug, the cameras cut to Nia in her confessional once again. “I’m not going to be negative with people when I have so much to be grateful for, and if my friends want to say that I’m hiding things because I’m choosing to be intentional and positive, then they can say whatever they want to say. But I know my truth.”
Tune in at 9/8c on Bravo to find out what the women have to say about Nia’s emotional story.
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