Who is Montana Helena Klein Yao? Meet Malik Beasley's wife
Montana Helena Klein Yao was the spouse of Detroit Pistons shooting guard Malik Beasley, although currently separated. While her marriage shot her into the spotlight, she has since built her career as a model, entrepreneur, and social media influencer.
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Montana Helena Klein Yao is a California-born model and former teen pageant titleholder of Chinese and European descent.
- She married NBA guard Malik Beasley in 2020, has two children, and filed for a second legal separation in March 2025.
- Alongside modelling, she runs her fashion brand, shares lifestyle content online, and briefly gained attention for viral music clips.
Profile summary
| Full name | Montana Helena Klein Yao |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 5 August 1997 |
| Age | 27 years old (as of July 2025) |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Place of birth | Newport Beach, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 5'8" (173 cm) |
| Weight | 61 kg (135 lbs) |
| Body measurements in inches | 34-24-36 |
| Body measurements in centimetres | 86-61-91 |
| Hair colour | Light brown |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Mother | Gina Klein Yao |
| Father | Paul Yao |
| Marital status | Separated |
| Ex-husband | Malik Beasley |
| Children | 2 |
| School | Malibu High School, Maranatha High School |
| Profession | Model, influencer, entrepreneur |
| Social media |
Montana Helena Klein Yao is a California native
Montana was born on 5 August 1997 in Newport Beach, California. In August 2024, she celebrated her 27th birthday with an appreciation post on Instagram, writing:
27 was one for the books! Thank you for all the birthday wishes. I wasn't even trying to do much this year and ended up doing it all.
Montana, now a mother of two, attended high school in Pasadena before graduating from Malibu High in 2015.
Source: Original
She has a multiracial background
Montana Yao's ethnicity is mixed. As reported by Sportskeeda, her father, Paul, was born in China and moved to the United States in 1965, later serving in the U.S. Army during the 1970s.
Her mother, Gina, an entrepreneur from California’s San Fernando Valley region, is of English, Irish, and German descent and co-owns the global brand JaggerEdge.
Montana's career includes modelling and brand ventures
The social media star has since established herself as a professional model and rising digital figure. In 2016, she won Miss Malibu Teen USA, eventually signing with Newmark Models and landing campaigns with expensive brands like Zara.
In addition to modelling, Montana Yao's Instagram, which boasts over 125,000 followers, serves as a platform for fashion and lifestyle content. She first went viral in 2016 with a rap video.
Montana met Malik Beasley in 2018
American basketball shooting guard Malik Beasley and Montana Yao reportedly met in 2018 and welcomed their first child, Makai Joseph Beasley, on 16 March 2019. The couple later married on 5 March 2020, shortly after the birth of their first child.
On 11 November 2022, Malik Beasley's wife gave birth to their second child, Mia Love Beasley. The NBA star shared the news on Instagram with a photo of him holding his newborn, captioned:
11/11 and my wish came true Mia Love Beasley - 8lbs / 19 inches.
Source: Getty Images
Her marriage to the NBA guard faced public controversy
According to an X (Twitter) post, in November 2020, the model’s marriage to the NBA guard faced public controversy after Malik Beasley was spotted with reality star Larsa Pippen during a mall outing. The photos went viral, and Montana responded via Instagram Stories, writing:
Wow... I don't even know this man... this is wild y'all. I'm seeing it for the first time just like y'all. I've always and will forever remain true to who I am, and GOD has never let me down. The truth always comes out one way or another.
Feeling blindsided, Malik Beasley's partner filed for divorce in December 2020, according to TMZ Sports. In May 2021, after his split from Larsa, Beasley issued a public apology to Montana on Instagram. She later accepted it, and his message said:
I wanna say sorry for putting you in the situation you were put in the last few months… my head wasn't where it was supposed to be… I was looking for more when it was right here that whole time… I’m telling the world and you that there’s nobody like you for me.
Source: Getty Images
She filed for separation in March 2025
As Daily Mail shared, Montana Yao reportedly filed for separation from Malik Beasley in March 2025, weeks before what would have been their fifth anniversary. Weeks later, Beasley filed for divorce, according to his attorney, Steven Haney.
Following the split, Pinkvilla reported that the NBA player began dating Brazilian-American model and influencer Natalia Garibotto. Their relationship became public in late March 2025, with Malik Beasley's girlfriend confirming in an Instagram post:
Fun fact: we met while I was at UM and he was at FSU a decade ago.
Source: Instagram
Frequently asked questions
- Who was Montana Yao’s husband? The model was previously married to NBA shooting guard Malik Beasley, who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons.
- Are Montana Yao and Malik still together? The couple parted ways after the model filed for legal separation in March 2025.
- Does Malik Beasley have kids? The basketball star shares two children with Montana Yao: Makai (born 2019) and Mia (born 2022).
- Who are Montana Yao’s parents? Her parents are Paul Yao, of Chinese descent, and Gina Klein Yao, a fashion entrepreneur.
Conclusion
The spotlight that came with her marriage to NBA star Malik Beasley brought Montana Helena Klein Yao into the public eye. Despite their separation, she continues to thrive as a model, entrepreneur, and digital personality.
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