Photo: Steven Moran By Charli Penn ·January 1, 2021December 31, 2020

Actress Naturi Naughton’s holiday season came with an extra sparkle. Two days before Christmas, the Power Book II: Ghost star got engaged. Now she’s sharing her love story and engagement photos exclusively with ESSENCE.

“I’m still floating from my engagement,” shared Naughton, 36, of her news. The actress, who has been very private about her personal life, isn’t quite ready to share which lucky guy will have the honor of meeting her at the altar, but she did open up about how it all went down.

Photo: Steven Moran

Just days before Christmas, Naughton thought she and her daughter Zuri, 3, were showing up for a princess-themed photo shoot arranged by her love. She thought the plan was to take family photos for the holidays. He’d taken care of everything. “This amazing man of mine planned this whole photoshoot, complete with my glam team and stylist might I add, for me and my daughter with matching princess dresses. All I had to do was show up!” Then something unexpected happened. “We are all just taking pictures as normal, then the music changes to a song called ‘Looking For Love’ by Mul-Ty,” Naughton shared. “Out of nowhere I see Mickey, Minnie, and the whole Disney crew walk in, and then I see my parents and one of my best friends walk in behind them—all wearing their masks. I was in shock! When I turned around, my now fiancé was down on one knee! Ahhhhh!”

Her fiancé had planned a special proposal for Naturi and her daughter. “He promised to take care of me and my daughter,” said Naughton. “Then he asked would I ‘do life with him forever’ and I said, ‘YES!’ The most beautiful part of the proposal is that he gave Zuri a ring too, with her birthstone (Ruby) in it. My fiancé said that his commitment to me is also a lifetime commitment to her. Zuri admired her ring, then said, ‘Oh For me?’ She was so happy.

For Naughton, her fiancé also including her daughter in the magic moment really sealed the deal. “It makes me happy that they have a great bond as well,” she said. “Any man that I would choose would have to know that Zuri and I are a package deal!”

Finding true love has double meaning for Naughton, who revealed to ESSENCE that it wasn’t always something she saw in her future. “Three years ago, I gave birth to a beautiful Black princess and then suddenly I became a single mother overnight, all while shooting a hit show,” she recalled. “But underneath the makeup of Tasha St. Patrick, Naturi was dealing with a plethora of emotional bruises and scars. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if my heart could mend from the pain of past relationships, but won’t He do it? Today I am overcome with gratitude. I feel so blessed that God sent me a man who values me, my daughter, my family and has his own close relationship with God.”

So how exactly did Naughton and her mystery man meet? She has her TV husband to thank for introducing her to the love of her life.

“I never imagined that one random night in NY would change my life so much,” Naughton recalls. “I had no idea I was about to meet the best teammate ever. Omari Hardwick and I were recording a song together and Omari was like, ‘oh you gotta meet my people’. On that night, I met this kind, handsome, southern gentleman who would love me like I’ve never been loved. From that point on, we talked every day, quietly dated and fell in love. Thank you, TV hubby, for introducing me to my future hubby!”

Naughton hasn’t revealed her wedding plans or date but for now she’s content living in the moment and celebrating this new chapter.

“I know it sounds cheesy, but I truly feel like a Princess who has finally found her Prince.”

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