Anjelah Johnson-Reyes was born and raised in San Jose, California and is of Mexican and Native American descent. She is one of five children and has a large extended family to which she remains close. In the beginning of her career, Johnson- Reyes was a professional cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders. As an Oakland Raiderette, she was named Rookie of the Year and even performed in Super Bowl XXXVII. After that year she decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of acting.