Kevin Kreider is among the stars featured in The Traitors US Season 2 on Peacock, but who is he?
6 Facts About The Traitors US' Kevin Kreider
Featuring as a faithful in Season 2 of the American version of The Traitors, 40-year-old Kevin Kreider was born in Seoul, South Korea before being adopted at age three to a German/Irish family in Philadelphia, he now lives in Los Angeles.
Here are some interesting facts about Kreider, from his romantic life to his struggles with sickness, sobriety, and addiction:
The Traitors Isn't Kevin's First TV Show
Kevin Kreider found his first major glimpse at television fame on Netflix thanks to his major role on Bling Empire, an American reality show about the lives of wealthy Asian American socialites living in the Los Angeles area.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, Kreider ironically revealed the pay for Bling Empire proved low, stating how the massive hours he ended up working resulted in him earning "lower than minimum wage:"
"UPS workers were paid more than I was, and they have benefits. That's how little we got paid. We had to be available for almost a whole year. I dragged my ass to like a three, six-hour interviews. So, when you put the hours together, I worked probably lower than minimum wage."
Netflix officially canceled Bling Empire in April 2023 after a controversial three seasons. While some painted the reality series as groundbreaking for its diversity in a field where that is sorely lacking, others claimed its wealthy cast pushed stereotypes of Asian Americans being affluent.
The reality star has also picked up several acting credits in the likes of Asian Persuasion, Kat Loves LA, and other minor projects.
Kevin Kreider Is a Model
Kevin Kreider has had a long career as an Asian-American model and has been featured in publications such as Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness. He worked with brands such as Gillette and Pelaton over the years.
He was also the first Asian-American to greet customers topless at Abercrombie and Fitch on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Kreider starred in his own documentary, The Ugly Model, which explores his struggles of being a model who "feels ashamed, ugly, and emasculated" due to his Asian background in America:
"'The Ugly Model' examines the paradox of a handsome male model who feels ashamed, ugly, and emasculated in America because of his Asian ethnicity. Having merged from battling with depression and self-hatred, Kevin reclaims his masculinity by challenging America’s standard on male beauty and questioning if beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder."
His Time As a Fitness Creator
Kevin Kreider began posting videos on YouTube in 2015, with a heavy focus on offering fitness and diet advice, along with tips for working out in the gym.
His highest-viewed video currently sits with 1.5 million views with the title, "Getting shredded is easy - the mistakes I made."
The fitness creator posted videos fairly regularly up until around 2019, since then he has only published a few videos on the channel.
The most recent video explored addiction and recovery, with a heavy focus on the stigma against sobriety and mental health struggles following the passing of Friends star Matthew Perry, who suffered from issues surrounding that.
A Sober Journey and Business Venture
Kevin has been vocal about his past struggles with alcohol addiction which culminated with his decision to get sober in December 2015.
He explained on LinkedIn how the decision to get sober came at his dad's birthday celebrations when, while intoxicated, he realized he was "losing these special moments with [his] loved ones and that [he] had been constantly missing out due to my drinking addiction"
Kreider's journey led to forming his own company, Sans by Taejin Beverage Inc., which produces drinks that "[offer] a cognitive boost" while being alcohol-free and low-calorie to encourage socializing sober and allowing people to be "part of the buzz without the booze"
The "About" section of the Sans official website goes into further detail on Kevin's dark times, noting how he "owed over $20,000 in credit card debt" and "his father kicked him out of their childhood home" before going sober:
"In 2013, Kevin had hit rock bottom. Years of drinking and partying led to depression, anxiety and losing all his hair from Alopecia Areata. He was lost, and spiraling down a dark path. He owed over $20,000 in credit card debt and his father kicked him out of their childhood home."
The Love Life of Kevin Kreider
The latest update on Kevin Kreider's love life came in Bling Empire Season 3 as he reunited with his ex-girlfriend Devon Diep, whom he initially separated from due to his struggles with addiction and sobriety.
Diep is a refugee child of mixed Vietnamese and Chinese heritage who has acted in many movies and series such as Chris Evans' Apple TV+ original, Defending Jacob, and Liam Neeson's Honest Thief.
The couple are believed to still be together in Los Angeles, with Kreider last stating on the matter to E! in October 2022 how "living together is great" after she relocated from Boston to join him:
"She moved from Boston to live with me. Living together is great, we've just had some unfortunate apartment situations."
Kevin's Alopecia Illness
On his official website, Kevin Kreider revealed details of how the "stress and non-stop nature of his career" led to his diagnosis with alopecia areata. This led him to both lose the "majority of his hair" along with "his modeling career:"
"In 2014, the stress and non-stop nature of his career in the entertainment industry took a toll on his body and Kevin was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune disease that attacks the hair follicles. In two weeks, he not only lost a majority of his hair but also his modeling career."
While there is no cure for alopecia areata, it can be treated with steroid injections and topical medications, leading to hair regrowth in some, but not all, cases.
Where Can Fans Follow Kevin Kreider Online?
Those looking to see more of the latest from Kevin Kreider can follow him on Instagram @kevin.kreider and subscribe to his channel on YouTube.
Kreider is currently appearing on The Traitors, which debuts new episodes on Peacock every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
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