Vanessa Minnillo

Infobox Person
name = Vanessa Minnillo

---

image_size = 200px
caption = Vanessa Minnillo, September 2005
birth_date = birth date and age|1980|11|9
birth_place = Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Philippines
death_date =
death_place =
education = Charles English Bishop high school
occupation = actress/model
spouse =
parents = Helen Bercero & Vince Minnillo
children =

Vanessa Joy Minnillo (born November 9, 1980) is an American television personality. A former Miss Teen USA, she is mostly known for hosting "Total Request Live" on MTV from 2003–2007 as well her past reporting as a New York-based correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight".

Early life

Minnillo was born at Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines, the daughter of Helen Berecero and Vince Minnillo, who was a U.S. Air Force Aircrew member [http://www.filmreference.com/film/19/Vanessa-Minnillo.html] . Her father is an American of Italian and Irish descent and her mother is a Filipina (thought Vanessa has claimed her to be Polynesian on at least one occasion) from the province of Pampanga on Luzon. Helen met Vince when he was based in the Philippines [ [http://beta.inquirer.net/common/print.php?index=2&story_id=71100&site_id=24&col=134 Nepales, Ruben V; Pampanga-born Vanessa Minnillo going places; Philippine Daily Inquirer ] ] [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050206091924/http://www.filipinasmag.com/magazine/archive/vanessa.html Ayuyang, Rachelle Q; There's Something About Vanessa] ] [ [http://www.maximonline.com/articles/index.aspx?a_id=%207307&src=RSSArticles "Dressed To Kill"] ; "Maxim" Online] . Minnillo has an adopted Fact|date=September 2008brother Vincent, who is two years older than she.

As a child, Minnillo's family moved numerous times due to her father's work in the United States Air Force making her a military brat, including living in Washington, California, Nevada, Florida, Germany and Japan and placing Minillo in eight different schools within nine years [http://www.bongo.com/ accessdate 2007-08-19] Minillo's parents separated in 1983, divorced in 1986 [http://www.celebritywonder.com/html/vanessaminnillo.html|CelebrityWonder.com, retrieved 2007-08-13] .

Subsequent to Helen's remarriage to another United States Air Force serviceman, Vincent and Vanessa moved to Turkey with their mother and stepfather. By 1990, as a result of Desert Shield, Minnillo and her brother returned to their father's home, eventually settling in Charleston, South Carolina where she attended Bishop England High School and was a cheerleader [http://imdb.com/name/nm0591373/bio IMDb biography] , access date 1008=7-08-19] . Vanessa was raised from then on by her father and his second wife Donna.

Career

Beauty pageants

Minnillo entered the public eye as Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1998, and went on to be crowned as the winner of the 1998 Miss Teen USA pageant. She was the first delegate from South Carolina to capture the title and the first winner of the pageant to be chosen as Miss Congeniality.

She later co-hosted the Miss Teen USA 2004 pageant with Tony Potts and Miss Universe 2007 with Mario López.

Hosting

She is best known for hosting MTV's "Total Request Live" ("TRL"), 2003–2007 [http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=8e5e663a-838a-40e6-9ac0-c3194ba3f37f accessdate 2007-08-19] and as an "Entertainment Tonight" NYC correspondent, 2005-2007.

She hosted Miss Teen USA (2004) and co-hosted Miss Universe (2007).

Minnillo was a finalist in E!'s competition to find a replacement for Brooke Burke as host for the show "Wild On"Fact|date=June 2007 losing out to Cindy Taylor.

Advertising

Since leaving MTV and Entertainment Tonight, she has been featured in a print and web-based advertising campaign for BONGO Jeans' Spring/Summer 2007 collection [ [http://www.tmz.com/2007/01/05/vanessa-flashes-her-bongo/ Vanessa Flashes Her BONGO - TMZ.com - Entertainment News, Celebrity Gossip and Hollywood Rumors ] ]

She has been the spokesperson of Flirt! Cosmetics, a line she helped create that debuted in August 2007 in Kohl's department stores. [ [http://offtherack.people.com/2007/03/flirt_like_vane.html Vanessa Minnillo’s New Gig: Makeup Designer! - Off the Rack - StyleWatch - People.com ] ]

In May 2006, "Maxim" magazine listed Minnillo as #15 in its Hot 100 issue. [ [http://www.maximonline.com/slideshows/index.aspx?slideId=1920&imgCollectId=94 Vanessa Minnillo of 2006 Hot 100 on Maxim.com ] ]

She was on the covers of Maxim (October 2006, October 2007), "Shape" (March 2007) and "Lucky" (July 2007).

Acting

Minnillo was featured in Vegas magazine (2008) where she revealed her next path of career is acting. She later confirmed to "People" magazine she indeed got a role in the movie "Redefining Love" out (2009). She appeared in the spoof movie/comedy "Disaster Movie", released on August 29, 2008.

Personal life

Minnillo was in a sporadic three-year relationship with New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter from November 2003-2006. She is currently dating Nick Lachey, after meeting for a video shoot for Lachey's music video, What's Left of Me. [http://www.celebritywonder.com/html/vanessaminnillo.html|CelebrityWonder.com, retrieved 2007-08-13]

Minnillo is fluent in English and has passing knowledge of two languages spoken in the Philippines: Kapampangan and Tagalog. She has a close relationship with her stepmother Donna Minnillo and brother Vincent, but is estranged from her mother.

Filmography

*"" (2007) as Julie Angel
*"Disaster Movie" (2008)
*"Redefining Love" (2009)

Television

*"That's Life" (1 episode, 2001) as Cheerleader
*"City Guys" (1 episode, 2001) as Hot Girl
*"The Bold and the Beautiful" (8 episodes, 2001) as Amanda Wexler
*"Maybe It's Me" (1 episode, 2002) as Sexy Student
*"How I Met Your Mother" (1 episode, 2008) as Ashlee

References

External links

* [http://www.vanessaminnillo.com/ Official website]
*tvtome person|id=74339|name=Vanessa Minnillo
*imdb name|id=0591373|name=Vanessa Minnillo
*people.com

Miss Universe Organization titleholders
Year=1998
Miss Universe=Wendy Fitzwilliam
Miss USA=Shawnae Jebbia
Miss Teen USA=Vanessa Minnillo