Vanessa Minnillo

Vanessa Minnillo was born to Vince Minnillo and Helen Berecero, a Filipina from the province of Pampanga and Leyte, that Vince met while based in the Phillipines. As a child, Minnillo's family moved often due to her father's work in the United States Air Force, including living in Washington,... More

Vanessa Minnillo was born to Vince Minnillo and Helen Berecero, a Filipina from the province of Pampanga and Leyte, that Vince met while based in the Phillipines. As a child, Minnillo's family moved often due to her father's work in the United States Air Force, including living in Washington, California, Nevada, Florida, Germany, and Japan. Her parents separated in 1983 and divorced 3 years later. Vanessa and her adopted brother eventually settled in with their father in Charleston, South Carolina, where she attended Bishop England High School and was a cheerleader.

 

Vanessa entered the public eye as Miss South Carolina Teen USA in 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 as well as the first winner of the pageant to also be chosen as Miss Congeniality. She later co-hosted the Miss Teen USA 2004 pageant, but is best known for hosting MTV's Total Request Live from 2003-2007.

 

More career ventures for Vanessa Minnillo include features in a print and web-based advertising campaign for BONGO jeans and becoming the spokesperson for Flirt! Cosmetics, a line she helped create. The line debuted in August 2007 in Kohl's department stores. In 2006 Vanessa was named #15 in Maxim's Hot 100 as well as being on the cover of the magazine in October of 2006 and 2007. Other magazines she's been the covergirl for include Shape and Lucky Magazine.

As of June 2006, Minnillo as been dating Nick Lachey, their relationship most noted for the pictures taken during their one-year anniversary vacation in Mexico that featured nudity and sex, published in Life and Style Weekly magazine.

Vanessa Minnillo(7)