Gerald Harlow

Gerald is the definition of "tall, dark, and handsome." Ever since his early teenage years he hasn't had much trouble with the ladies, due to his devilish good looks and well honed irresistible charm. He's never had a problem getting what he wants in life. His attitude has often been described as impulsive, hot headed, and passionate, depending on the context of the situation and who you ask. One thing is for sure though, if you ever meet him you definitely won't forget it. Always the life of the party, boring or dull are words that definitely don't fit his personality.

As charismatic as Gerald is around others, when he is alone that same intensity that comes with his emotions is magnified, except on the more depressive scale. Fueled by his struggles with alcoholism and addictions, he is often prone to borderline psychotic, self destructive breakdowns when left with his thoughts for too long. This can sometimes lead to rather self destructive or risky behavior as a coping mechanism. Underneath it all is the soul of a man capable of loving with an intense and beautiful passion, but is tortured by the mistakes of his past and his own deep insecurities. But that is a fact he keeps very carefully tucked away from the world, under the carefully crafted veil of false confidence that he hides behind. It would take a lot of trust in the right person for Gerald to let anyone see his true self; and an exceptional person to be valiant enough to handle the true depths of what lurks beneath his superficial guise.

Given the man that Gerald is today, it leaves one to wonder exactly how such a young man came to develop such intense issues. Gerald lived a pretty typical life in his childhood, save for his parent's failing marriage and eventual divorce which left Gerald to be raised by his mother and partly by his grandfather and also his older brother. Yet because his parents separated when he was merely six years old, Gerald only possesses vague negative memories of his abusive and eventually absent father. Growing up, Gerald was viewed as the "golden child" and favorite son by his father, and thus he never came to bear the full brunt of the man's temper; a violent temper that was reserved strictly for other members of the family. Because of those factors, Gerald to this day harbors some confusion as to why his father is viewed in such a terrible light by the other members of his family, and can never bring himself to fully believe their honest explanations. Or, perhaps he subconsciously doesn't want to believe exactly what his loved ones went through while he himself was carefully sheltered from such abuse.

By the time Gerald graduated from Berkeley High School, he was a bright young man with a promising future. Having obtained a scholarship to Loyola University located in New Orleans, Louisiana, Gerald was on track to begin his journey towards his passionate dream career in the music industry. Yet merely weeks before he was to start his freshman year of college, Gerald was the unfortunate witness of a traumatic event that derailed his carefully laid plans and turned his world on its end. After delaying the start of his initial semester for only a few short weeks after the aforementioned event, Gerald did complete his cross country move to New Orleans anyway, leaving the family he once valued close to him far behind both in distance and in heart as well. The man who stepped off that plane in New Orleans stepped off with a shaken sense of self, and after being thrust in a new environment surrounded by strangers he began to fall into a sinful world filled with darker pleasures such as alcoholism, illicit drugs, and sexual promiscuity in an attempt to fill the gaping void that had been ripped inside himself.

Four years later, Gerald graduated from Loyola University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Industry studies. Making the trip to watch him cross a stage and accept his diploma was his close family, including his older brother James, whom Gerald had barely spoken to in the past four years. Yet after many discussions and much persistent patience on James' part, the two brothers began a new line of communication and Gerald began to slowly participate in rebuilding his part in the broken relationship that he himself had mostly severed. Following Gerald's graduation, he ended up moving back to his home state of California, except this time to the glitzy city of Los Angeles. He moved into an apartment with James as a roommate to help afford the rent while the two brothers pursued their own careers, and to this day that's where they remain for now. As for how they get along with each other, it is a constant work in progress; as is much of Gerald's life, really.


All in all, Gerald is an arrogant challenge and a maddening test of patience to anyone who has ever had the displeasure of knowing him. But underneath it all, he is truly worthy of the Harlow name by owning and displaying an unforgettable personality. It just takes a bit of work to tame the beautiful madness and find the abundantly rewarding heart and soul laying beneath.