Myha'la, best known for playing Harper Stern in the HBO drama Industry, is among the 21 celebrities taking part in The Celebrity Traitors season 2. The show returned on Wednesday evening (October 1) with Claudia Winkleman welcoming the famous faces to the castle, where they compete for a £100,000 prize fund for charity.
Film star Richard E. Grant and Love Island presenter Maya Jama were selected as this series' Traitors. However, 69-year-old Richard has already made a major error by revealing to other contestants that he was a Traitor shortly after being chosen. Myha'la did not secure a position in Claudia's Traitor group, but BBC audiences have shown interest in the American star's background.
Why did Myha'la change her name?
The performer changed her professional name from Myha'la Herrold to simply Myha'la in 2023. She explained that her surname did not properly represent her sense of self, reports Wales Online. The 30-year-old had already established herself professionally by that point, having featured in major productions including Black Mirror.
Most audiences knew her as Harper Stern from Industry, which she initially joined under her full name. Myha'la told Elle that her distinctive first name never seemed to match "the most white, f*****-are-you-60-plus-years-old name I've ever heard in my life. No shade to my family." The actress was taken aback when supporters had passionate responses to her name change.
She recalled: "There was somebody online who was like, 'She can't just give herself a single name. She can't just be a mononym because she chooses to! Do you think Cher just woke up one day and decided to be Cher?' And I was like, 'D***! I'm not trying to put myself in the same category as Cher. How do I earn it?'"
Is Myha'la in a relationship?
Myha'la is married to fellow performer Armando Rivera, whom she met in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her now-spouse initiated contact via Instagram DM after Industry's first season aired, writing: "Congrats on the show, I'm a huge fan, I wish you all the success in the world."
She politely acknowledged Armando's gracious message, but he maintained the dialogue. "The next day I woke up to a string of video messages and I was like 'It's gonna be something weird'. So I looked at the profile and I was like 'Oh, he's kind of cute I guess I'll watch it,'" Myha'la shared on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
Armando had expressed his gratitude for her reply to the DM and asked whether she was free to be interviewed for his class project. Myha'la went on: "The next day we hopped on a Zoom and we were meant to be on for five, ten minutes. 40 minutes goes by and he stops the recording and I was like 'So where are you from?'"
The pair met in person a month later and embarked on a lengthy romance before tying the knot in secret during 2025. The BBC actress only revealed her marriage to followers this January, posting a collection of intimate photographs from their wedding day. The Celebrity Traitors continues on BBC One and iPlayer tonight at 8pm.
