"I want to do my own thing" – Jena Sims opens up about carving her own path beyond Brooks Koepka's golf world

Jena Sims talked about carving her own path beyond her husband, Brooks Koepka's, golf world in a recent podcast. She also talked about the misconceptions that come with being married to a professional athlete.

Sims married Koepka in 2022 and shares a one-year-old son, Crew, with him. In a recent podcast on The Nikki & Brie Show, Sims talked about her varied endeavors — running a non-profit, modeling, acting, and collaborating with fashion brands — She described herself as someone who was "hustling out there."

The 36-year-old runs a nonprofit, Has Been Beauty Queens, which organizes the Pageant of Hope to boost self-esteem among children and teens facing challenges. She has acted in movies like Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader and TV shows like The Vampire Diaries.

Further, she has also collaborated with fashion brands like Steve Madden and Madison's on Main. She further said:

"I don’t agree with the, like, you know, "just sit there and be seen," and, you know, "just support your man and be a housewife and just be thankful." I’m like, no. I have my own dreams. I want to do my own thing. And Brooks—I think that’s what makes our relationship so successful—is just the fact that I do have my own things going on." (5:20 onwards)

Jena was then asked how it felt to transition into the global golf world after already making a name for herself on camera. She said:

"I think it was... it was hard, because I was an actress and a model before meeting Brooks, but also on such a small scale. Like, I was doing Sharknado and getting my head chopped off in Beov, so it wasn't anywhere near the platform that I have now." (4:26 onwards)

She said that many in the golf media and fanbase didn't know about her previous work. She added that they assumed her appearances in things like Sports Illustrated were due to her relationship with Brooks. However, she clarified that she had been modeling since she was 15 and that it had nothing to do with him.

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Jena Sims shuts down surname critics with viral Instagram trend

In a recent Instagram story, Jena Sims, wife of five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, addressed criticism over her decision not to adopt her husband's last name.

In the Instagram story, Sims shared a trending audio to critics who ask, "Why don't you go by your married last name?" In the story, Sims could be seen sipping wine and smiling and answered critics with sarcasm:

"God forbid a girl want an identity outside of her husband."

She captioned the story:

"Had to hop 🐰 on this trend 😂😆💀"

Jena Sims' Instagram Story

Jena Sims was recently seen cheering for Brooks Koepka at the 2025 Masters with her son, Crew. She also participated in the par-3 contest, a Masters tradition in which family members of the golfer play the role of caddie during the event.