If you were watching TV in the mid-2000s, you probably remember Olamide Faison as Miles from Sesame Street. He was the kind-hearted, approachable face on a show built on kindness. Then there’s Natalie Nunn. She basically invented the modern reality TV "villain" persona on Bad Girls Club, famously declaring that she "ran LA."
On paper, it makes zero sense.
People still talk about this pairing because it’s one of the weirdest "worlds colliding" moments in Hollywood history. We're talking about a guy who taught children their ABCs dating a woman who became famous for physical altercations on Oxygen. It wasn't just a brief fling for the cameras, either. They were a legitimate couple for years before the world even knew Natalie Nunn as a "Bad Girl."
The Long Timeline Most People Miss
Most fans think Natalie Nunn popped out of nowhere when Bad Girls Club Season 4 premiered in 2009. In reality, she had been in a committed relationship with Olamide Faison since 2003. Let that sink in. They were together for roughly six years.
That is a lifetime in "celebrity years."
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During the bulk of their relationship, Olamide was a steady fixture on Sesame Street. He joined the cast in 2003—the same year they started dating—and stayed until 2008. While he was singing songs with Elmo and Big Bird, he was going home to one of the most polarizing personalities in reality TV history.
Why It Lasted So Long
It’s easy to judge a relationship from the outside based on the characters people play on screen. But honestly, the Natalie Nunn we saw on TV was a carefully crafted brand. People who knew the couple back then often noted that their private life was significantly different from their public personas.
- Shared History: They met long before the "Baddies" era and the heavy social media spotlight.
- The Faison Family: Olamide isn't the only famous one in the family. His brother is Donald Faison (Scrubs, Clueless). Natalie was essentially part of a Hollywood-adjacent family circle for over half a decade.
- Privacy: Unlike today’s influencers, they didn’t document every meal or argument on Instagram. It didn't exist yet. They had the luxury of being a normal couple for the first four or five years.
The Bad Girls Club Turning Point
Everything changed around 2009. Natalie was cast in Bad Girls Club, and she didn't just participate; she dominated the narrative. Her explosive personality was a goldmine for ratings, but it was reportedly a nightmare for a stable relationship.
Olamide actually appeared on the show.
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If you go back and watch the old episodes, you can see the friction. It’s awkward. You’ve got Olamide, who comes across as a relatively grounded, low-key guy, trying to navigate the chaos of a house designed to trigger emotional breakdowns. There was a specific scene where he visited the house, and the tension was palpable. You could tell he wasn't built for the "reality TV" lifestyle that Natalie was sprinting toward.
The relationship officially crumbled in 2009, right as Natalie’s fame was skyrocketing.
What Really Caused the Breakup?
While neither has spent the last decade trashing the other in long-form interviews, the reasons for the split are fairly obvious to anyone paying attention. Natalie wanted the spotlight. She wanted the "Bad Girl" brand. Olamide, by all accounts, preferred a quieter life focused on acting and music.
You can't really stay with a Sesame Street actor while your public image involves getting into fights at clubs and screaming at roommates. The brands just don't align.
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After they split, Natalie’s trajectory went vertical. She did Love Games, Bad Girls All-Star Battle, Marriage Boot Camp, and eventually executive produced Baddies. Olamide stayed active in the industry—doing voice work and appearing in films like Seven Pounds—but he largely moved away from the tabloid-heavy side of fame.
Where Are They Now?
Natalie Nunn eventually found stability with Jacob Payne. They met in 2011, got married in 2012 (which was also televised, naturally, on Bridezillas), and have a daughter named Journey. Despite the constant rumors that follow any reality TV marriage, they’ve stayed together for over a decade.
Olamide has kept a much lower profile. He’s a musician and an actor who seems perfectly content letting his work speak for itself rather than his dating life.
It’s wild to look back and realize that for six years, the guy from Sesame Street and the queen of the Bad Girls Club were a thing. It’s a reminder that before the cameras start rolling and the "edits" take over, these are just people who happened to spend a huge chunk of their 20s together.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking for more info on this era of reality TV, here is how to find the real story:
- Watch BGC Season 4: Look for the episodes where the partners visit. It’s the best "time capsule" of their dynamic.
- Check the Credits: Olamide is a talented musician; his work outside of acting gives a lot of insight into his personality.
- Ignore the Tabloid Noise: A lot of blogs from 2010-2012 tried to create "feuds" that didn't exist. Stick to the actual footage and verified interviews.
The reality is that Olamide and Natalie are a classic case of two people growing in completely different directions. One chose the quiet path of a character actor; the other chose to build a reality TV empire. Both succeeded, just not together.