Career
Briana began acting after she dropped out of college. Initially, she received offers to perform as a miniature adult dancer. She found those offers demeaning toward the dwarf community. Hence, she rejected all such offers.
Briana made her TV debut in 2013, with a brief appearance in an episode of the 'Comedy Central' show 'Tosh.0.' The same year, she appeared in the fantasy short 'Cloak of Feathers.'
Briana’s acting breakthrough came in 2014. She became part of the main cast of the 'Lifetime' reality series 'Little Women: LA.' This series chronicles the journey of the “little people” (dwarfs) of America. The show debuted on May 27, 2014, and ran for seven seasons. Of all the cast members on the show, Briana was the shortest, measuring less than four feet. The show was a turning point in both her professional life and her personal life. While the show earned her immense fame and money, it also gave the worst relationship of her life. Her relationship with her ex-husband, Matt Ericson, was in the spotlight throughout the show. After her incredible six-season stint on the show, she finally decided to drop out from its seventh season to focus on her health, music career, and family. However, her divorce from Matt, which made several headlines, was one of the reasons behind her decision. The divorce created a lot of chaos in her life, and, as a result, she no longer wishes to showcase her private life to the public. Despite this, the producers of the show have offered Briana guest appearances on the show.
Some of Briana’s other noteworthy projects were 'The Internship Games,' in which she appeared as herself, and the talk show 'Chelsea Lately,' hosted by Chelsea Handler. On January 8, 2018, Briana released her debut single, ‘Cage.’ The track was heavily inspired by her tumultuous relationship with her second husband. The original track and the remixed version are available on Briana’s 'YouTube' channel.
Personal Life
Briana was born Briana Renée Kealiher, on April 19, 1983, in San Diego, California, US. Although her parents are average-sized, she was born with achondroplasia, a form of short-limbed dwarfism. At the age of 12, Briana, along with her father and sister, moved to Bonsall. There, she attended 'Sullivan Middle School' and later enrolled at 'Fallbrook High.'
Briana was a ‘Junior Dragster’ champion. Music has always been her passion. At the age of 10, she began giving public performances. When she was in fourth grade, she performed songs by Mariah Carey. Briana also became a member of the 'Fallbrook High' choir. She was mentored under her school’s former choir director, Kelley Bell.
After graduating high school, Briana moved to Orange County. After three semesters at 'California State University, Long Beach' she dropped out to pursue a career in acting and singing.
Briana dated Todd Gibel, who is now the husband of Christy McGinity Gibel of 'Little Women: LA' fame. After breaking up with Todd, she married Leif Manson, a contestant on the reality series 'Survivor.' Briana has a daughter, Leiana Manson, from her relationship with Leif. Like her father, Leiana, too, has hypochondroplasia, another form of dwarfism. Briana’s marriage fell apart a few years after the birth of her daughter.
After divorcing Leif, Briana started dating Matt Ericson and married him in 2015. A number of episodes of 'Little Women' focused on their relationship. In 2016, Matt and Briana welcomed their son, Maverick Jax. Maverick, too, has achondroplasia. This marriage, too, went through several rough patches, and in 2017, Briana filed for divorce. There were multiple reasons for her decision, including infidelity, domestic violence, abuse, and death threats. Briana’s relationship with Matt was never approved by her parents. Hence, she was not much in contact with them after she married Matt. Her father, Robert Kealiher, once accused Matt of manipulating his daughter’s life. Robert even expressed his wish to see his grandson, Maverick, whom he had not seen since his birth. However, Briana’s reaction to this statement was negative. She blamed her father for interfering in her personal life. She, however, filed for divorce soon and is now raising her children as a single mother.
