Crissa Jackson is a social media star and professional basketball player. Her 4.6 million followers on TikTok are regularly treated to videos of her superior basketball skills and dance moves. Crissa started playing basketball when she was 7, and she achieved her dream of playing professionally when she became the 13th woman to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Jackson is trying to grow her following on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, and she is doing so with the help of her wife, Alexis. Alexis is a regular on Crissa’s social media page, and she is her number one fan. This piece will look at Alexis and Crissa’s relationship, their family, Alexis’s advocacy efforts, and Crissa’s career.
Crissa and Alexis met at a club on Crissa’s birthday
Crissa realized that she was gay when she joined college, and she was in denial for a long time. It was after Crissa got into a relationship with a girl in her freshman year of college that she accepted her sexuality. Alexis realized much later that she was gay, but when she met Crissa at the club that day, she was comfortable with being a lesbian. Alexis explained in a YouTube video titled Q&A with Alexis & Crissa:
“It was her birthday and I was out with my friends, she was out with her friends, and we met at this club in San Diego, and there was nobody there, but us. I saw her from afar… and I was like, ‘Damn girl! This girl look good!’… My girl went ahead and pushed me into her and I started grinding all over her, and it was game over after that… We were dancing all night.”
The couple exchanged numbers afterwards, and they started dating.
Alexis had to quit smoking before she became Crissa’s girlfriend
Alexis was a smoker before she and Crissa met, and she had to cut the habit before she and Jackson became official. Crissa said in the Q&A video:
“When I first met her, she smoked like crazy. Like chain smoking. But, she really didn’t smell like it too much, she masked it very well… With that being said, I said that the day that I ask you to be my girlfriends is the day that you have to quit smoking.”
It was tough for Alexis to quit smoking, but she did it because she wanted to be in a relationship with Jackson. Crissa was Alexis’ second lesbian partner, and the first fully lesbian relationship Alexis had. The couple dated for a while before getting married on 18th December 2017. Jackson and Alexis are still madly in love with each other as they approach two and a half years of marriage. Alexis posted an Instagram photo of the couple on Valentine’s Day and added the caption:
“But to be real… Crissa and I really don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day because it isn’t needed. We know we love each other every day and we don’t need that one day for us to express our love. We can show it every day…”
Alexis had her child Olive at the age of 19
Alexis was 19 years old when she gave birth to her daughter Olive. Jackson came into Olive’s life when Olive was four years old, and the two have a great relationship. However, Olive hasn’t gotten around to calling Crissa mom. Crissa stated in the Q&A video:
“When she was ready and felt comfortable, I was in her life a little bit longer and she doesn’t call me mommy, but she considers me her mom. She calls me Crissa, which is fine with me. I wouldn’t want to force her to call me anything she is not comfortable with, but when people ask she says she has two moms.”
Alexis is an advocate for body positivity and LGBTQ rights
Alexis is an outspoken advocate for body positivity and LGBTQ rights. She has 53.3k followers on Instagram, and she uses the platform to encourage women to be comfortable in their bodies. Alexis is open about her flaws, and she uses them to inspire women to be happy in their skin. On 22nd November 2019, Alexis posted a photo of her belly and added the caption:
“Yes I have a nice shape but you don’t know that I have extra skin from giving birth, you don’t know that I have a shit ton of stretch marks, you don’t know that I have a lot of cellulite… This stomach right here, this stomach! Had my Olive, 9 months of a life growing inside of me, a love to always be reminded… Stop hiding from your light Foxes. Understand your star and your never supposed to be hidden in the dark.”
Alexis also advocates for the LGBTQ community alongside Olive and Crissa. In July 2019, Alexis and her family featured on Pantene’s website for pride. On 22nd July 2019, she posted an intimate photo of herself and Crissa and added the caption:
“Pride is every month. Love is a rainbow curving down from the sky. Falling crystals of color, shades of warm that never die.”
Crissa always dreamed of becoming a Globetrotters
Crissa began playing basketball with her dad when she was seven years old. She attended one Globetrotters game when she was young, and she enjoyed watching them play. As she grew older, she joined a Chris ‘Handles’ Franklin’s basketball camp in Harrisburg. Franklin was a former Globetrotter, and he is the main reason why Crissa wanted to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Chris and Crissa kept in touch after Jackson left Harrington and moved to play at Savannah State University. Crissa played as a point guard at Savannah State before moving to Loma Nazarene University in California. A few years later, Chris called Crissa and informed her that the Globetrotters were hosting tryouts in Philadelphia. Crissa gave it a shot, and in late 2015, she became the 13th woman to play for the Globetrotters. She told Penn Live, “I was like, ‘Really? OK.’ So I went to the tryout, and I nailed it.”