Remember Miss Teen USA 1998 Vanessa Joy Minnillo?

Posted by Norman on May 2, 2020
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , .

– AUGUST 27: Vanessa Minnillo attends Entertainment Tonight and People Magazine Hosts Annual Emmy After Party-Inside at Mondrian on August 27, 2006. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Filipino-Americans have done decently well in US pageants. Back in 1998, an 18 year-old from Charleston, South Carolina bested all the youthful state candidates to win Miss Teen USA 1998. Her name is Vanessa Joy Minnillo.

Vanessa was born at USAF Clark Regional Medical Center in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines. Her father, Vincent Charles Minnillo, is an American citizen from Cleveland, Ohio of Italian and Irish descent, while her mother, Helen Ramos Bercero, is from Manila, Philippines. Minnillo has an adopted brother who is two years older. Her father moved the family frequently because of his service in the Air Force. She lived in Washington, California, Nevada, Florida, Germany and Japan and attended eight different schools in nine years. Minnillo’s parents separated in 1983 and were divorced in 1986.

Vanessa Minnillo (Photo by MR Photo/Corbis via Getty Images)

Vanessa was able to make good use of her platform as Miss Teen USA. She knew what she wanted as a career. Eventually, she became the New York-based correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and hosted Total Request Live on MTV. She has also starred in two network sitcoms, while hosting various competition and reality shows through the 2010s and up to this year actually. She is also a seasoned pageant host for both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. Last December, she was co-host of Steve Harvey for the Miss Universe 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 08: Steve Harvey and Vanessa Lachey host the 2019 Miss Universe Pageant at Tyler Perry Studios on December 08, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Nick and Vanessa Lachey (Photo by: Nick Agro/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Here’s a movie trivia for you: Have you watched the movie “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”? Betcha didn’t notice her quick appearance as the wedding date of Johnny (Chris Evans).

Anyways, Vanessa married singer Nick Lachey last 2011 after years of a more-on-less-off relationship. They have been blessed with three children ever since.

Watch the couple’s latest TV guesting on The Kelly Clarkson Show which aired just last March.

26 comments on “Remember Miss Teen USA 1998 Vanessa Joy Minnillo?”

  1. MABUTI PA ang PINSAN kong (he, he, he) si ENRIQUE IGLESIAS, MARAMI BESES na NIYANG SINABI/INAMIN na SIYA ay HALF FILIPINO. NAGSAGAWA pa SIYA noon ng FUND RAISING activity for Yolanda victims. ITONG si VANESSA MINNILLO, PESTE ang babaing ito. Ni minsan she NEVER RECOGNIZED her FILIPINO ANCESTRY. Or kahit magbanggit man lang nang kunti about FILIPINO. Mabuti pa si Olivia Culpo, hinanap ang Philippines (probably because she was heavily bashed before by Filipino netizens for the Paquiao-Mayweather fight) in last MU. Kung galit siya sa nanay niya, HUWAG niyang ISAMA ang Pilipinas, mga Filipino at si Miss Philippines. He, he, he…

    Hindi na siya dapat pang gawing host ulit ng MU. Mas gusto ko pa si Natalie Morales ang bumalik. Ang DAPAT GAWIN sa kanilang 2 ni Nick Lachey ay TALIAN nang MAHIGPIT sa backstage ng MU while the show is going on.

    Sa suggestion ni Flor Tula na imbitahin si Steve Harvey na mag-host sa MUP, mas mabuti pang dalhin yan siya sa South China Sea at IHULOg either sa dagat o sa mga Intsik na nakapwesto dun. He, he, he…

    By the way Flor, SCHOOLMATE mo pala si Fabian Reyes at ka-batch ko pa! Hay na lang…

  2. There’s nothing Pinoy about her.
    She doesn’t speak Filipino.
    Filipino culture isn’t a part of her life.
    She’s merely an asian-american woman 🤷🏻‍♂️

      • No such thing as “looks very Filipino” 🤷🏻‍♂️
        I have Cambodian and Vietnamese friends.
        They all look like any other southeast asian person ‘pag tinabi mo sa Pinoy.
        Di mo malalaman nationalities nila unless you asked them, heard them talk, or saw their mannerisms. Medyo mayabang mga Pinoys compared to other SEA nationalities, especially abroad.

  3. Sana makita ko siyang maging main host ng Miss Universe kasama si Andy Cohen.

  4. I am glad she is happily marriage to Nick. I hope her sad experienced with the separation of her parents and abandonment of her mother will make her stronger and wiser person.

  5. Their son Camden is cute mixed with European and Asian features with almond eyes. The dtr Brooklyn is a blondie.

  6. She is a wonderful host. She would have an excellent partnership with Bob Barker, had they been in the same era. To be honest, I do not like Steve Harvey as emcee of beauty pageants. Dick Clark, Bob Goen, and Bob Barker are better hosts than Steve. They gave beauty pageants some degree of elegance. I believe Steve should focus on “LITTLE BIG SHOTS” where his personality is more suited.

  7. Nick Lachey now with the facial hair reminds me of Gabby Concepcion in quarantine at his beach house in Batangas. Juices! Ka-WAFU. He has aged gracefully. Yummier than ever. He busies with his plantain patch, and has some oregano bushes…. 🙂

    Someone who has not aged gracefully? Piolo Pascual. Juices! He looks like he just endured an Armageddon. Looks totally washed out, horrible skin. 😦

    Mr.Tinio, can you convince MUPO to get Steve Harvey as host in the future?

    • My reaction when I first saw Gabby was , OMG , what happened to him ?’ He looks decrepit . He needs to work out
      The ones that stay good-looking are Christopher Deleon and Richard G

      • @ Fabian Reyes Oo, naman, with Boyet. 🙂

        Have never been a fan of Goma. Tall, dark, but looks plain… perhaps he has a Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood, or Sean Penn thing?

        Btw, they are my fave American actors. Also Edward Norton, who is UTTER LOVE.

      • Just to add my choices, Flor. My favorite American actors are Mark Ruffalo and Peter Sarsgaard. I don’t know why but I have always fancied the two of them always. 😊

      • A lot of People say that about Goma . I guess he is just photogenic

      • @ Fabian Reyes ‘Ay, hindi. Sorry. Richard Gomez should be at least 8 years older than me.

        @ Norman Mark Ruffalo, YAASSS!!!!!

        🙂

      • He was in PUP When he was discovered. then He went to The university of the Philippines in his 30s.
        I wish I kept my College ID
        I think my first 2 digits were 91

    • you made me smile a little on steve as host for MUPO. But i realized pwede. may sense. worth it. good strategy. dagdag viewers internationally. im sure steve will surely accept the invitation. TF? kahit 1/4 pa sa TF nya sa MUO. harvey will not miss this.

  8. Isn’t she estranged from her Filipno mother? I’ve never heard her acknowledge her Pinoy roots

    • Totally agree, the fact that she was born in the
      Philippines. Have somebody heard her say about
      her Philippine roots?

      One wonders if she has gone back to the
      place of her birth..would she plan to bring
      her kids to the Philippines one day?

      For sure, she has maternal family in the
      Philippines.

    • Her mum left her when she was 9… actually, she was not even invited nor informed of Vanessa’s wedding… based sa mga nabasa ko… maraming naging asawa ung mum nya.

      BTW… nung una kong makita si Vanessa… sbi ko kamukha nya c Criselda Volks. LOL

      • Yes, that is accurate. Her mom abandoned the family which must have left a lasting scar on then 9 year old Vanessa. This is possibly why she doesn’t acknowledge that side of her family.

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