Season one of The Ultimatum: Queer Love was full of ups and downs, and this is something Rae Cheung-Sutton knows firsthand. After Rae was given an ultimatum by her partner, Lexi, the two entered into an ‘experiment’ where they dated other people and entered into “trial marriages” with new partners. While this may seem like an unorthodox way to save a relationship, the ultimate goal was for Rae and Lexi to come back together, be on the same page, and continue to move forward.
Although the two left the show engaged, they later decided to go their separate ways. Even though things didn’t end as expected, Rae has become a reality TV star in the process, and now there are countless people who are interested in learning more about her.
Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Rae from The Ultimatum: Queer Love.
1. Rae Is A California Native
Rae was born and raised in the San Francisco area, although she currently lives in Costa Mesa. Luckily for Rae, the show was filmed in California, so she didn’t have to travel out of state to participate. As mentioned at the reunion, she and Lexi lived in Philadelphia for a brief time.
2. She Comes from a Diverse Background
Rae is half-Chinese (on her mother’s side) and half-white (on her father’s side). Her mother grew up in Singapore, and the family went back to visit often during Rae’s childhood. Rae does speak some Cantonese but admits that it’s somewhat broken.
3. Rae Was a College Athlete
Rae attended UC Irvine, where she was a member of the women’s basketball team. During her time on the team, she earned accolades such as Big West Academic All-Conference and Big West Scholar-Athlete. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public health policy.
4. Rae is Actually Her Nickname
Even though the people in her life refer to her as Rae, her full first name is actually Raelyn. It’s probably safe to say that it’s a no-brainer where her nickname comes from. Interestingly enough, she is actually the second woman named Rae to be part of The Ultimatum franchise. Rae Williams was a cast member during season one of The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On.
5. She’s a Software Engineer
Despite having a degree in public health policy, Rae has chosen to work in an entirely different field. She has been working as a software engineer for the last couple of years, a career change she made right around the time filming began for the show. Before getting into software engineering, she was the assistant athletic director at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California.
6. She Has an Account on Cameo
Cameo is a platform that allows celebrities and influencers to record and sell personalized video shoutouts to individuals or businesses. Rae has an account on the platform and is currently selling videos for $180. For that price, however, videos can only be used for 15 days.
7. She Loves Adventure
On the show, some viewers may have perceived Rae as the kind of person who is afraid to step outside of her comfort zone. While that may be true in some aspects, she is also the kind of person who seems to enjoy having new experiences and is always looking to live life to the fullest. She especially enjoys doing things like traveling and snorkeling.
8. She Didn’t Want to Go on the Show
As some may have guessed from Rae’s overall vibe and apprehensiveness, going on the show wasn’t her idea, and it wasn’t something she really wanted to do. In fact, in an Instagram story, Rae said, “When I tell y’all I did not want to do this or be there. Lexi was persistent and really wanted to do the experience “.
9. She Has a Sister
For the most part, Rae appears to be a pretty private person, so there isn’t much information about her personal life floating around on the internet. However, we do know that she has a sister named Elyse, and that appears to be her only sibling. It’s unclear whether Rae is older or younger than her sister.
10. She Believes in the Power of Representation
Over the last several years, the importance of representation has been brought to the forefront. Many people believe that it’s important for everyone to be able to see (and look up to) people who look like them. Rae is someone who understands why representation is so beneficial. In an Instagram post, she wrote,
“Growing up, the extent of queer representation for me was watching South Of Nowhere on putlocker when no one was home. It was seeing Emily on PLL or Santana on Glee and hiding my excitement. Representation matters and seeing the Netflix LGBTQ+ community come together to celebrate being out and proud reminds me of how far we’ve come. Younger me would be so so proud to know I was a part of something bigger than myself. Embracing and loving yourself is a never ending learning experience so make sure you surround yourself with love, acceptance, and positivity to help you through the journey. 🤗”
Even though she didn’t want to do the show, she seems happy to have been a part of providing representation for the queer community in such a major way.
Read Next: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Mal Wright from The Ultimatum: Queer Love
Dezo is the editor-in-chief of Celebtainment. She has over 10 years of experience in entertainment writing. Email: editor@celebtainment.com
