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.
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.[1] 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).[2][3][4] 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.[5] Minillo's parents separated in 1983, divorced in 1986.[6]
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.[7]