Toriah Lachell is a hairstylist, entrepreneur, and the mother of Deuce Tatum, the son of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, around February 2000, she and Jayson met as high school teenagers before his NBA career began. When Deuce was born in December 2017, Toriah moved to Boston to build a stable life for her son. Today, she runs The Curl Bar Boston, a salon specializing in curly and textured hair, and has built a quiet but consistent public presence on Instagram.
What makes Toriah Lachell worth knowing isn’t just her connection to Jayson Tatum. She has raised a son in one of the most public environments imaginable while building a business, maintaining her privacy, and being a steady parent. Her story is one of a young woman who chose to build her own identity rather than let someone else’s fame define her. The co-parenting relationship she and Jayson have maintained since Deuce’s birth is one of the more functional and respectful you’ll see — and that doesn’t happen by accident.
Who Is Toriah Lachell?
If you’ve ever watched a Celtics game and spotted an energetic little boy celebrating courtside like he owns the arena, you’ve already seen Deuce Tatum. And if you’ve paid attention, you’ve likely seen his mom, Toriah Lachell, nearby — calm, grounded, and not there to steal attention.
Toriah is a professional hairstylist and the founder of The Curl Bar Boston. She specializes in curly and textured hair, which matters more than people realize. Women with natural curls often spend years searching for stylists who genuinely understand their hair. Toriah turned that gap into her career. She completed cosmetology school in 2018 and built her reputation carefully, earning her certification as a curl specialist before opening her own salon.
She’s also maintained a personal brand under the handle @hairbytoriahlachell on Instagram, where she shares client work, hair tips, and glimpses of her life as a mom. No manufactured drama, no constant posting — just consistent, real content from someone who has a clear sense of who she is.
How Did Toriah Lachell and Jayson Tatum Meet?
Toriah and Jayson grew up in the same city. Both are from St. Louis, Missouri, and they crossed paths as teenagers in high school — long before Jayson was a lottery pick or a Celtics cornerstone. They were just two kids from the same neighborhood, connected before the money, contracts, and attention arrived.
That shared St. Louis origin matters more than people give it credit for. It means Deuce grows up with roots on both sides of his family that trace back to the same place — the same community, the same people who knew his parents before any of this happened. For a child growing up in the spotlight, that kind of anchor is real and rare.
In early 2017, while Jayson was finishing his season at Duke and preparing for the NBA Draft, Toriah found out she was pregnant. She was 17. He was 19. By December 2017, Deuce arrived — right in the middle of Jayson’s rookie season with Boston. Toriah made the move from St. Louis to Boston while eight months pregnant, so Deuce could grow up with both parents present.
The Co-Parenting Dynamic That Actually Works
Toriah Lachell and Jayson Tatum have never been married. They split shortly after Deuce was born, as two young people navigating parenthood and very different life pressures. Jayson has spoken openly about being scared, and even admitted he kept the pregnancy private during the draft process — something he later called a selfish decision. That kind of public honesty says a lot about how both of them have grown since then.
What they’ve built since isn’t just polite tolerance. You’ll see them together at Celtics games, cheering for Deuce, communicating like adults, and showing up without visible tension. That doesn’t happen without real effort on both sides.
Good co-parenting isn’t just about showing up to games together, though. The unglamorous part — agreeing on routines, being consistent with rules, staying on the same page about school — is what shapes a child’s sense of stability. From everything Toriah shares publicly, Deuce has that consistency. He’s not just the kid who gets to hang out courtside. He’s a grounded, enthusiastic little boy who clearly feels secure.
That security comes from Toriah’s daily work as his primary caregiver. She gives him normal when his life is anything but.
Building Her Own Identity Beyond the Fame
Calling Toriah “Jayson Tatum’s baby mama” misses the point. She’s someone who made a deliberate choice early on: build something of her own rather than lean on someone else’s name.
The Curl Bar Boston is that something. Running a salon while raising a young child in a city that isn’t your hometown is genuinely hard. Long hours, staff, client relationships, booking, and the constant pressure to stay current in the beauty industry — all while being present for school pickups and after-school routines. Her estimated net worth sits around $2 million, built from her salon and services, not from endorsements or proximity to celebrity.
Building a brand like that as a young single mother also signals something most profiles skip over: she was working toward financial independence on her own terms. That choice — to create her own income, identity, and professional reputation — is a meaningful one for anyone watching, especially young women navigating similar situations.
Keeping Deuce Grounded in an Extraordinary Life
Raising a child whose father is one of the most recognizable athletes in the NBA comes with a specific kind of challenge. How do you teach a kid humility when his dad plays in front of 20,000 people every night? How do you set normal expectations when normal doesn’t really apply?
Toriah seems to be the answer to that question. From her Instagram, you see everyday moments — not curated celebrity content. Deuce playing, laughing, being a kid. The balance she provides at home likely does more for his development than any amount of courtside appearances.
As Deuce gets older, that balance will shift. A teenager with a partially public profile is a different situation than a seven-year-old who loves cheering for his dad. Toriah will have to navigate new questions — about privacy, about identity, about what it means to grow up with that kind of visibility. But the foundation she’s built so far suggests she’s thinking ahead.
What Comes Next for Toriah Lachell?
Toriah’s story isn’t finished — it’s still being written. Her salon has room to grow, whether through expanding services, training other stylists, or building a broader presence in the curly hair community. She already has an audience that respects her consistency and authenticity. That’s a real asset if she chooses to do more with it.
What she’s shown so far is a preference for depth over scale. She’s not chasing virality or manufacturing a public persona. If the next few years follow the same pattern, you’ll see her business grow steadily, her presence stay grounded, and Deuce continue to thrive with a mom who chose him — and herself — over the easier path of riding someone else’s wave.
FAQs About Toriah Lachell
Is Toriah Lachell married to Jayson Tatum?
No. They are not married and never have been. They share a son, Deuce, and maintain a co-parenting relationship that both have kept respectful and child-focused.
How did Toriah Lachell and Jayson Tatum meet?
They met as teenagers in St. Louis, Missouri, where both grew up. They were high school-age when their relationship began, years before Jayson entered the NBA.
What does Toriah Lachell do for a living?
She owns and operates The Curl Bar Boston, a salon specializing in curly and textured hair. She’s also a certified curl specialist and maintains an active presence on Instagram, where she shares her work and life as a mom.
How old is Deuce Tatum?
Jayson Tatum Jr., known as Deuce, was born on December 6, 2017. He is eight years old as of 2026.
Does Toriah Lachell have a child with anyone else?
No. Deuce is her only child, and Jayson Tatum is his father.
