Who Is Monay On Claim To Fame?

Who doesn't love a guessing game? "Claim to Fame" Season 2 is underway, and audiences are picking apart every clue to decipher who each contestant's celebrity family member is. One competitor, Monay, has remained relatively (no pun intended) under the radar, which has fans scrambling to guess who she shares DNA with.

At first, the clues — or lack thereof — for Monay had both the competitors and fans stumped. For unknown reasons, Monay's talent show segment was cut from the first episode of the series, leaving audiences with even fewer clues. This is unlike fellow contestant Shayne, who a competitor quickly uncovered was the third daughter of comedian Eddie Murphy, or Carly, who had an infamous meltdown after an "easy" clue led to her being revealed as Tom Hanks' niece.

Online sleuths have their educated guesses about Monay's famous relative based on the hints "Claim to Fame" has dropped, but a little bit of digging may have revealed her true identity.

During the ever-puzzling Two Truths and a Lie segment on "Claim to Fame," Monay's clues were that her famous family member is her dad, an athlete, and/or has won an Emmy Award. Another contestant posited that Monay looked similar to "Family Feud" host Steve Harvey. However, a quick Google search reveals that Harvey has merely won a few Daytime Emmy Awards (still impressive, of course, but not what the clue said), and Monay is definitely not one of his seven children. "Monay is not related to Steve Harvey," one knowing fan wrote on Twitter. "Her celeb is a comedian though. She might win because I don't think these people know him."

So, who has the Internet come to a consensus on as Monay's relative? "I'm pretty positive 'Monay' is J.B. Smoove's daughter," concluded one user. Trust us, you've seen Smoove in several movies and television shows, from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" to "Spider-Man: Far From Home," but it's not out of the realm of possibility that the younger-leaning "Claim to Fame" cast might not know this actor right off the bat. Considering the clues, Smoove fits into the Emmy-winning category for his 2021 win for his role in "Mapleworth Murders."

To top it off, another online sleuth found a podcast episode in which Monay appeared as Jerrica Brooks in 2021, in which she specifically discussed being Smoove's daughter. "Yep: Jerrica Monay Brooks," the user guessed from her "Claim to Fame" pseudonym.

Although her "Claim to Fame" castmates haven't figured out her true identity, it's clear that Monay exudes an aura that the series' fans and her castmates alike have enjoyed. After entering the competition, the other contestants guessed that Monay was related to some sort of entertainer because of her playful personality. "I love her energy," another competitor noted in the "Claim to Fame" trailer.

During her 2021 interview on "The Need to Know Podcast," host SaVon gushed about his positive interactions with Monay when he was working for her. SaVon explained he met Monay after he performed alongside her father, J.B. Smoove. "It's not every day that you get to meet people with good energy, pure energy," the host beamed while introducing her. "You warmed my spirit when I met you," he continued later. That's at least two vibe checks that Monay has passed with flying colors. Funnily enough, the comedian's daughter joked that her mom says that she "looks like [J.B.] with a wig," so we'll see if the "Claim to Fame" cast can figure out her celebrity relative before it's too late in the competition.