” MTV executives liked what they saw and Minnillo was given her first big break as the host of “Total Request Live” (1998- ). Within a matter of days, she was on a plane from L.A. to New York City.

Once she arrived in NYC, people immediately took notice of the 5’8 stunner. In particular, she caught the roving eye of Derek Jeter, the Yankee’s star short-stop with a well documented history of dating some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Jeter and Minnillo embarked on what would become a long-term, on again-off again romance in November, 2003. They were seen all over NYC hot spots, including courtside at Knicks games, garnering considerable ink in the NY tabloids. However, neither wanted to waste their pretty years pining for the other during their down time. In April of 2006, Vanessa starred in Nick Lachey’s music video for his song “What’s Left of Me” – a ditty about the very public demise and heartbreak of his marriage to pop singer, Jessica Simpson. In the weeks following the shoot, Minnillo and Lachey were spotted getting cozy in NYC and Las Vegas, but it wasn’t long before Lachey was out and Minnillo was back with Jeter. Ironically, in a 2004 interview, Minnillo had named Lachey and Simpson’s reality show “Newlyweds” as her favorite MTV show.

In 2005, Minnillo’s career continued to climb when in addition to her “TRL” gig, she became the New York correspondent for “Entertainment Tonight” (CBS 1981- ). One “ET” assignment in particular put her on the non-MTV radar – donning a fat suit under the pretense of shining a spotlight on what overweight people go through each day out on the street. Minnillo, who was apparently unaware of the cruelty of others, was said to have felt shocked and horrified when people sneered at her or simply ignored her. In an ironic twist, that same year Maxim magazine named Minnillo #62 on their Hot 100 List.

Milestones

* 1998 Won the Miss Teen USA pageant
* 2002 Finalists in E!'s competition to find a replacement for "Wild On" hostess Brooke Burke
* 2003 Co-hosted MTV’s "Total Request Live"
* 2004 Hosted the MTV specials "MTV's Prom Date" and "2 Punk Rock 4 This: The Real World San Diego Reunion"
* 2005 New York-based correspondent for “Entertainment Tonight”
* 2006 Featured in Nick Lachey's music video for "What's Left of Me"
* 2007 Named as the new face of Bongo Jeans’ Spring/Summer advertising campaign
* Had a recurring role on CBS's "Bold and the Beautiful"
* Hosted for Fox Sports Net and ESPN
* Moved to Los Angeles