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. She is currently dating Nick Lachey.

Biography

Early life

Minnillo was born at Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines, the daughter of Helen (née Berecero) and Vince Minnillo, who was a U.S. Air Force Aircrew member. Her father is an American of Italian and Irish descent and her mother is a Filipina from the province of Pampanga on Luzon, whom Minnillo's father met while based in the Philippines (Minnillo has also referred to her mother as Polynesian on at least one occasion). Minnillo has an adopted brother, Vincent, who is two years older than her.

As a child, Minnillo's family moved numerous times due to her father's work in the United States Air Force, including living in Washington, California, Nevada, Florida, Germany and Japan and placing Minillo in eight different schools within nine years. Minillo's parents separated in 1983, divorced in 1986.

Subsequent to Helen's remarriage to a United States Air Force serviceman, Minnillo and her brother 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.

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.

Hosting

She is best known for hosting MTV's Total Request Live (TRL), 2003-2007 and as an Entertainment Tonight NYC correspondent, 2005-2007. She hosted Miss Teen USA (2004) with Tony Potts and co-hosted Miss Universe (2007) with Mario López..

Minnillo was a finalist in E!'s competition to find a replacement for Brooke Burke as host for the show Wild On 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. She has been the spokesperson of Flirt! Cosmetics, a line she helped create that debuted in August 2007 in Kohl's department stores.

In May 2006, Maxim magazine listed Minnillo as #15 in its Hot 100 issue. 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 Sabio's music video, What's Left of Me.

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 Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer as Johnny’s Wedding Date
• 2008 Disaster Movie
• 2009 Redefining Love

Television

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

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