About Nina Daniele
Nina Marie Daniele, known as Nina Drama, was born on December 27, 1988, in Pelham, New York, to an Italian-American family with French and Italian descent from her mother’s side. Raised in a working-class household, she has a younger brother, Anthony, and maintains a close relationship with her parents, though their identities are private. She grew up with an interest in writing, attending a local high school in New York before earning a degree in creative writing with a focus on poetry from a local college. Initially, she planned to join the Air Force after graduation, but her boyfriend, Jhanelle Castillo, encouraged her to pursue modeling, aligning with her passion for fashion and photography.
Daniele’s modeling career began in 2011, leading to her selection as Playboy’s Playmate of the Month for April 2017, featured in the March/April issue with a non-nude pictorial, marking Playboy’s return to nudity. In 2018, she was named Playmate of the Year, a milestone celebrated by her boyfriend on social media. Her Playboy work includes appearances in Playboy Germany (June 2019), Beauty Campaign (2019), and LA Models Portraits, with photosets on platforms like Playboy Plus and BabesRater, where galleries rate highly (e.g., 9.3/10). While specific Playboy TV or video roles are not detailed, she has modeled for brands like Savage Fenty, Fredericks of Hollywood, and Hudson Jeans, represented by Elite Model Management and One Management.
Beyond modeling, Daniele is a social media influencer and content creator, focusing on comedy and UFC coverage. She appeared in the TV mini-series Attempting LA (2019), the short film Water (2021) as Bernadine, and the VeraMeat podcast (2019). Since 2022, she has covered UFC and Power Slap, interviewing fighters like Sean Strickland, Alex Pereira, and Tom Aspinall with a humorous, non-traditional style. Her YouTube channel, Nina Drama, launched in May 2020, has 1.48 million subscribers and over 1 billion views across 1,600 videos, featuring sketches and fighter interviews. She transitioned to acting after studying improv, drama, and sitcom, moving from New York to Los Angeles in 2016 to collaborate with creators like Anwar Jibawi and Hannah Stocking.
Daniele maintains a strong social media presence, with 3.3 million Instagram followers (@ninamariedaniele), 4.9 million on TikTok, 267,000 on X, and 1.32 million YouTube subscribers as of 2025. She posts comedy sketches, UFC content, and modeling photos, often with Castillo, achieving high engagement (9.4% on Instagram). Her OnlyFans account (@ninamariedaniele), priced at approximately $15–$25 per month, includes over 500 posts with 400 photos and 100 videos, offering glamour modeling, lingerie, and tasteful nude content similar to her Playboy work, alongside fitness and lifestyle posts. She engages fans via DMs, avoiding explicit material. She also uses Snapchat (@ninadrama), Twitch, and Kick for livestreams, including UFC 316 coverage in 2025.
Standing at 5’9” (175 cm), Daniele weighs around 106–137 lbs (48–62 kg) with measurements of 24-34-35. She has blonde (often dyed) hair, brown eyes, and a slim, fit physique maintained through dancing, boxing, and gym workouts. Her breasts are natural, with no evidence of cosmetic surgeries on her breasts, lips, buttocks, nose, or other features. No tattoos or piercings are reported.
Fans on Babepedia and Reddit find Daniele sexy for her “stunning” blonde look, “perfectly toned” body, and “captivating” brown eyes, with comments praising her “natural beauty” and “playful, confident vibe.” Her comedic UFC interviews, like a viral leg-kick video with Alex Pereira (42 million TikTok views), are seen as unique, blending glamour with humor. Some criticize her as a “pseudo-Playmate” for non-nude shoots or question her Playmate of the Year win over others like Elsie Hewitt, but she remains popular for her authenticity and wit.
Controversies include a 2023 feud with MMA reporter Helen Yee over media engagement, sparked by fan comparisons. Yee’s screenshots contradicted Daniele’s claim of private outreach, fueling debates about traditional versus influencer-style journalism. In 2024, Daniele clashed with YouTuber The MMA Guru, defending journalist Amy Kaplan against derogatory comments, though some accused her of hypocrisy due to her friendship with controversial fighter Sean Strickland. Fans also speculate about favoritism in her UFC role, which she denies, attributing her success to hard work.
As of 2025, Daniele lives in Los Angeles with Castillo, her partner of over 15 years, and their dogs, Luna and Leo. They celebrated their 12th anniversary in 2022, with no confirmed engagement. She continues creating UFC content, covering events like UFC 316 in New Jersey and collaborating with fighters in Georgia, as posted on X in May and June 2025. She plans to expand her comedy and modeling work, with a net worth estimated at $800,000–$6 million from modeling, social media, and brand deals.