Lolo Wood is often recognized before she’s fully understood.
For some, she’s the breakout personality from Wild ‘N Out. For others, a familiar face from Ridiculousness. For many, she’s known through headlines tied to her relationship with NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. But none of those versions tell the full story of the woman who now calls the Valley home.
In these images, butterflies appear as a recurring motif subtle, intentional, and layered with meaning that becomes clearer as her story unfolds.
“I joined the military a day after I graduated high school,” she says. “I skipped that phase where you figure things out slowly.”
Raised between states and shaped by a hardworking single mother, Lolo learned early what responsibility looked like. By 15, she had a job. By 16, she had bought a car with her savings.
“I learned young what it meant to work. I don’t just accept imposed limitations, as when my mom would say that we cannot afford something. I would think, okay, then, how can we? That mindset never left me.”
It is a through-line that still defines her.
“I’ve always been a bit of a nonconformist. I doubt the status quo. You don’t have to accept faith if you can change it.”
That character trait carried her through eight years in the military as an intelligence analyst, where structure, discipline, and accountability became fundamental to her Modus Operandi and aided a peculiar conundrum she still carries today.
“I’m actually introverted. But when there’s a camera or a mic, a switch flips. I associate that version of me with work.”
That switch would take her further than she ever anticipated.
Discovered through social media, she began modeling while still in the military, traveling back and forth from Texas to Los Angeles on her days off.
“After a 12-hour work rotation, I’d drive to LA for a shoot, glam up and drive straight back to put my Air Force uniform on. That was my normal back then.”
One of those early opportunities placed her in a music video for Justin Bieber, playing his love interest. It was a moment that, on paper, signaled arrival but in reality, marked her first real encounter with public scrutiny.
“That was the first time I experienced hate at that level. Fans were so protective of Justin. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but it opened my eyes to what comes with being seen.”
From there came MTV. Wild ‘N Out. A national platform. A rapidly growing audience.
“I was just 19. I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be on TV. I just always admired the confidence and composure people had on screen. But I never thought that would be me.”
And yet, it was. People loved Lolo.
What followed looked effortless from the outside. Appearances, hosting, eventually Ridiculousness. But internally, the experience was more complex.
“It felt like I dropped into that world. I was in it, but not from it. There was always a part of me observing from outside looking in.”
It’s a perspective that becomes clearer in hindsight.
“At the time, I was just trying to keep up, not trying to belong.
That awareness followed her into a highly public relationship with NFL's Odell Beckham Jr..
“People think they know you. They spin narratives. And at first, that was hard for me. I care about my reputation. I wanted to correct things. But you can’t control how people choose to see you.”
Over time, that need to correct public perception gave way to something more grounded.
“I had to grow out of that. You just live your life and let people think what they want.”
Life continued to evolve. A move. A new environment. And then, motherhood.
“Motherhood rewrote my internal software completely. Everything changed. The way I think. The way I act. What matters.”
Their son, Zydn, became the center of that shift. Not just emotionally, but philosophically.
“I don’t look at him as a little boy. I look at him as a future man. That changes how you show up. I parent very intentionally. Responsibility comes first. Everything else follows.”
But that transformation came alongside one of the most challenging seasons of her life.
After welcoming Zydn, Lolo made the decision to step away from her relationship with Odell. It wasn’t dramatic. In fact, they’re the best of friends to this day, and peacefully co-parent.
“We were young and in love. We grew together, but also grew in different directions. Odell needed to focus on his recovery and career, and I had to focus on nurturing a new life.”
What followed was a period of rebuilding and creating a life in Arizona.
“I was in a dark place,” she says. “I had a newborn, went through a separation, relocation and self-isolation; I isolate to process things before I am ready to reemerge. I didn’t really have a support system.”
And then, loss.
The passing of her best friend became a defining moment, one that reshaped her perspective entirely.
“I hit the proverbial rock bottom. Losing someone like Jacky changes everything. It makes you realize what actually matters.”
It’s also where the symbolism seen throughout this photoshoot begins to take on deeper meaning. Butterflies were her best friend’s favorite.
“The last time Jacky visited me, we hiked Piestewa Peak. On the first hike I took alone after her passing, a large orange butterfly landed nearby, staying with me as I watched the sunset.”
Experiencing loss clarified something deeper.
“I don’t believe in becoming a victim of your circumstances. We all go through things, but you have to decide what you do with it.”
That decision is now reflected in how she lives and creates.
“I’m very intentional about what I put out on social media. I don’t just post anything. I create responsibly.”
Her new series, Finding Lolo, is an extension of that intention.
“I’ve seen so many versions of myself and 'my' story online that aren’t true. This is me taking my voice back. Sharing my experiences in a way that people can actually take something from it that serves them.”
There’s a noticeable shift in her content. It’s more reflective. “Finding Lolo” is all about recalibrating her values, coalescing her principles around a life ideology that is congruent with her beliefs, and among them is a concept she wants to resurrect and reintroduce.
“I’ve been studying the difference between feminism and femininity,” she says. “And I think we got lost in the translation. Being feminine does not make you weak. There’s power in softness, wisdom in grace, purpose in service.”
It’s not a rejection of strength. It's a redefinition of it.
“You can be strong and soft. Independent and nurturing. Both can and should coexist.”
There’s grounding confidence in the way she speaks now. Not the kind that demands attention, but the kind that comes from experience.
“I didn’t always recognize what I was doing at the moment, but now I can look back and say that I’m proud of myself.”
It’s a quiet statement. But it carries weight.
Because the story of Lolo Wood was never just about where the world first saw her.
It’s about everything she became after.
“I’m still figuring it out,” she says. “But I trust myself. I’m in a phase of transmutation, like my own metamorphosis into a butterfly.”
IG @lolowood_
“I’ve seen so many versions of myself and 'my' story online that aren’t true. This is me taking my voice back."
"Now I trust myself. I’m in a phase of transmutation, like my own metamorphosis into a butterfly.”