The former NBA player Metta World Peace married twice and currently lives with his second wife, Maya Sandiford. After their secret wedding in 2018, they are enjoying a blissful marital relationship of 4 years as of 2022.
In the basketball realm, any news related to the NBA All-Star Metta World Peace barely goes unnoticed- either it is his professional achievements, on-court confrontations, or his family.
Today we are covering Metta World Peace’s wife, Maya Sandiford. Besides being an athlete’s spouse, the alluring persona is a model with more than 15K followers on Instagram.
Not only Maya’s marriage with Metta (aka Ron Artest) added her surname of ‘Artest,’ but also, it made her a stepmom of four. She gets along with her husband’s kids, though.
Prior, the 2010 NBA Champion was married to former reality star Kimsha Artest with whom he had three children. Moreover, with his ex-girlfriend, World Peace has a son who also plays basketball.
And after those relationship failures, the former NBA player has found love again with Maya. Let’s get thorough information about Metta World Peace’s wife, Maya Sandiford Artest- her family, career & much more!
Metta World Peace Wife, Maya Sandiford | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Maya Sandiford Artest |
| Birthday | October 18 |
| Birth Place | Japan |
| Nick Name | Maya |
| Religion | Not available |
| Nationality | Canadian/Japanese |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Age | In her 30s |
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) |
| Weight | 160 lbs (72 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Build | Slim |
| Father’s Name | Hirata Fuminori |
| Mother’s Name | Michelle Sandiford |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband | Metta World Peace |
| Kids | None |
| Profession | Model |
| Husband’s profession | Former NBA player |
| Net Worth | $1 Million (approx.) |
| Husband’s net worth | $30 Million |
| Social Media | |
| Last Update | March 2024 |
Metta World Peace’s Wife Maya Sandiford | Early Life & Family
Maya Sandiford, now Maya Sandiford-Artest, was born to a Japanese father Hirata Fuminori, and a Canadian mother, Michelle Sandiford. As a result, she has a mixed ethnic background.
Currently, her parents reside in Vancouver, Canada.
Sandiford has a younger brother named Shay Sandiford, born on October 10, 1997.
Maya is very close to her family and often mentions her parents & brother on her social media posts.
On the occasion of Father’s day, on June 21, 2021, Maya wrote on her Instagram:
“Happy Father’s Day to my favorite human❤️
I never realized how rare it is to have a dad who has never missed a beat, is always consistent, present, and stable…You take advantage of any and every opportunity to spend time, make memories and have new experiences with us!….. Thankful for you today and everyday🙏🏽”
All of her family members are active on Instagram. Her brother Shay is a model and a professional skateboarder. His Instagram handle is @shaysandiford.
Maya Sandiford Education
Sandiford-Artest was good in art studies and would later choose arts at University. At 16 years old, she entered high school, and in 2011, she enrolled at The University of British Columbia.
In 2015, Maya graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Maya Sandiford, Wife Of Metta World Peace | Age & Body Measurements
Maya Sandiford’s date of birth is unknown, though her birthday falls on October 18. She appears in her 30s as of March 2024.
The model has a slim physique with brown eyes and black hair. She has a height of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m), a foot less than her NBA’s former player husband, Metta, 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m).
Though little is known about Maya’s personality, we can say that she seems to be a vibrant young woman. She enjoys posting pictures of herself and striking poses for the camera, as evident by her frequent Instagram posts.
Metta World Peace And Maya Sandiford | Wedding & Relationship
Maya Sandiford Artest and Metta World Peace married in August 2018, though further insight into their wedding is still a mystery.
Added that, the two kept their dating profile quite low- sources allege that the duo has been in a relationship since 2013.
On February 9, 2018, the former NBA star mentioned his then-girlfriend (now wife) Maya in his Tweet while addressing that he missed his kids.
And as of now, 4 years into their marriage, they seem quite open about their relationship. They often display affection for each other on social media posts.
In her interviews, she talked about what it’s like to be the wife of an NBA player. Maya said she ‘adores that her spouse is a well-known basketball star but does not enjoy the attention it attracts.’
Moreover, she added that one benefit of being an NBA player’s wife is traveling and interacting with new people.
Metta Took His Wife’s Surname | Name Change Over The Years
Born Ronald William Artest Jr., the former New York Knicks star went by the name Ron Artest until 2011.
Then, on September 16, 2011, he legally changed his name to “Metta World Peace”- ‘World Peace’ being his surname.
Unfortunately, the people did not appreciate this one. They did not like the idea- of having the word “World Peace” in someone’s name.
Following 2 years of marriage with Maya Sandiford (second wife), the retired basketball player again changed his name on May 4, 2020.
His new name is ‘Metta Sandiford-Artest,’ an honor to his wife’s surname, while Maya also went by the name Maya Ford Artest.
Brief On Metta World Peace | Career & Achievements
Born November 13, 1979, Metta (Ron Artest Jr.) is a former American NBA player. The Queens, New York native attended St. John’s University for his collegiate career and became the 1997 McDonald’s All-American.
Throughout his career, the 1999 NBA draft pick of the Chicago Bulls played for five further NBA teams: Indiana Pacers (2002-06), Sacramento Kings (2006-08), Houston Rockets (2008-09), and Los Angeles Lakers (2009-13, 2015-17).
In 2004, he became an NBA All-Star and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Metta also represented the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals, where they won the title.
Metta World Peace’s overall career stats read 13,058 points (13.2 points per game), 4,448 rebounds (4.5 rpg), and 2,631 assists (2.7 apg).
After the NBA playing career, Metta worked as a player development coach for the South Bay Lakers in the G League in 2017–18. Likewise, in the offseason of 2018, he participated in 3×3 basketball with the BIG3.
Metta also has his own company called The Artest Management Group. The company also has a film branch and assists athletes with tax preparation.
Additionally, Metta has developed a sports app and is enrolled in UCLA analytics classes thanks to his passion for mathematics, which dates back to high school.
Metta World Peace’s Previous Wife | Divorce & Children
Metta was previously married to Kimsha Artest. The two met in high school and started dating while they were teenagers- they were 15 and 14 years old then.
After an on-off relationship since 1994, they married in June 2003. However, the husband-wife bond would remain only for 6 years.
The former pair divorced on June 30, 2009, which Metta confirmed with TMZ in July 2011, saying, “I’ve been divorced for years.”
In March 2007, Metta World Peace, aka Metta Sandiford-Artest, got into legal trouble after allegations of domestic violence. Even more, he had his days suspended from his then-NBA team Sacramento Kings briefly.
He reportedly ‘shoved a lady to the floor’ during an argument.
Even though the retired NBA player tried not to disclose the woman’s identity, as per neighbors, she was none other than his first wife, Kimsha Artest (not divorced then).
While together, Metta and Kimsha became parents to three children, two daughters: Saddie and Diamond, and a son named Ron Artest III.
More On Kimsha Artest (Metta’s First Wife)!
Kimsha Artest, after her divorce from Metta World Peace, saw TV fame briefly. She was among the main cast in Season 1 of the reality show Basketball Wives LA (Aug 29- Nov. 28, 2011).
She joined the casts like:
- Imani Showalter (ex-fiancée of Stephen Jackson)
- Malaysia Pargo (wife of Jannero Pargo)
- Tanya Williams
- Laura Govan
- Gloria Govan
- Jackie Christie
However, after one season, Kimsha departed the show & refused to participate because of “shenanigans and drama.”
As per her LinkedIn profile, Kimsha Artest works as Industrial Account Manager for Perfect Fit Jobs (August 2021-Now).
Metta World Peace Wife Maya Sandiford | Step-Mother Of Four
Maya Sandiford, the second wife of Metta World Peace, is yet to share a child of her own with the former NBA star.
But she is not away from motherhood, though- Maya hangs out with her husband’s children from previous relationships.
Metta and his ex-wife Kimsha welcomed three kids together: Saddie Artest (b. 1997), Ron Artest III (b. April 30, 1999), and Diamond Artest (b. 2003).
The former NBA player has a son named Jeron with his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Ruth Uy Palma.
Details On Metta’s Kids!
Reportedly from his eldest daughter Saddie, Metta is the grandfather of a granddaughter.
Metta’s other daughter, Diamond, was a cheerleader at college, from where she graduated in 2021.
Ron III followed in his father’s footsteps to NBA and currently plays for KW Titans of NBL Canada (National Basketball League of Canada)- signed on March 9, 2022.
The Cal State Northridge alumnus went undrafted in the 2021 NBA G League Draft and later signed with Sioux Falls Skyforce and Delaware Blue Coats but only to waive.
Metta Sandiford-Artest’s other son, Jeron Artest, is also a basketball player- from his ex-girlfriend Jenifer Palma with whom he had a relationship from 1998 to May 2002. They were St. John’s University schoolmates.
Jeron, 6 feet 3 inches (1.90 m), played for University of California Irvine after joining as a freshman in 2019.
His sophomore year (2020-21 season) concluded with 27 games (started in 22), averaging 4.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, and 20.0 mpg. On November 28, 2021, he made a career-high 13 points against Bethesda.
Along with being an athlete, Jeron Artest is a designer, software engineer, and entrepreneur. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is the founder & CEO of Test Jar Labs (Jan 2022- Now).
He completed a Bachelor’s in Computer Game Science from University of California Irvine (2019-21). Currently, Jerson is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at the Univerisity of Southern California (started in 2021 through 2024).
Metta World Peace Wife (Maya Sandiford) | Net Worth
Metta’s second wife, Maya Sandiford Artest, may be famous as an athlete wife, but the independent woman has a leading career.
Besides being a model, she is a marketing manager for International Fashions: Kersh and Press (July 2017- Now), based in Vancouver, Canada.
Maya Sandiford has a net worth of approx. $1 million as of March 2024.
Earlier, Sandiford Artest worked as a business development and marketing coordinator for Teach for the Future for 4 months in 2017.
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According to Maya’s LinkedIn profile, she started as a law clerk in the Law Office of John F. Schutty (2013-14) in New York.
Then, Maya became public relations assistant and later a marketing coordinator at Artest Management Group (2014-17).
As for her husband, Metta World Peace, a former NBA player, has a $30 million net worth. Through 18 NBA seasons, he collected $83.305 million in career earnings.
Some of his notable NBA career contracts were the 6-year deal of $40.8 million with the Pacers in 2002 and a 5-year contract worth $33.95 million with LA Lakers in 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Is Metta World Peace‘s wife involved in Charity?
Yes, Metta's second wife, Maya is active in various philanthropic causes, including those supported by the American Red Cross, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Do Metta and Maya have kids together?
No, Metta and Maya do not have any kids together. However, Maya is a stepmother to Metta's four children from his previous relationships- three with ex-wife Kimsha and a son with ex-girlfriend Jennifer Palma.
