Dayana Mendoza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dayana Mendoza
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Dayana Sabrina Mendoza Moncada
June 1, 1986 |
| Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) |
| Title | Miss Venezuela 2007 Miss Universe 2008 |
| Spouse(s) |
Michael Pagano
(m. 2013; div. 2016) |
| Children | 1 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Green |
| Major competition(s) |
|
Dayana Sabrina Mendoza Moncada (born on June 1, 1986) is a famous Venezuelan actress, model, film producer, and director. She is best known for winning the titles of Miss Venezuela 2007 and Miss Universe 2008.
In 2012, Dayana Mendoza was a participant in The Celebrity Apprentice, a TV show hosted by Donald Trump. Later, in 2018, she started working as a film producer and director.
Contents
Dayana Mendoza's Life Story
Dayana Mendoza was born in Caracas, Venezuela. Her parents are Willy Mendoza and Laura Moncada.
When she was younger, Dayana was kidnapped in Venezuela. She later shared that this difficult experience taught her how to stay calm and strong even under a lot of pressure.
In 2001, she started her modeling career. She signed with Elite Model Management after being one of the top 15 finalists in the Elite Model Look International competition in France. She worked with big fashion companies like Max Mara and Costume National. She modeled in many cities around the world, including New York City, Italy, Germany, France, Greece, and Spain. She worked for famous designers like Versace and Roberto Cavalli. Dayana can speak three languages fluently: Spanish, English, and Italian.
Dayana married businessman Michael Pagano on December 6, 2013. Their wedding was a big celebration in the Dominican Republic. On October 5, 2015, she gave birth to her daughter, Eva Mendoza Pagano, in New York. In September 2016, Dayana and Michael decided to divorce. She said they separated on good terms. In August 2020, Dayana became an evangelical Christian.
Her Journey to Miss Universe
Winning Miss Venezuela 2007
On September 13, 2007, Dayana Mendoza won the Miss Venezuela 2007 pageant. She competed against 27 other women. She was only the second woman from the Amazonas state to win this title.
Becoming Miss Universe 2008
Dayana was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on July 13, 2008, in Vietnam. She was the first winner from Venezuela since Alicia Machado won in 1996.
The previous Miss Universe, Riyo Mori, placed a beautiful tiara on Dayana's head. As Miss Universe, Dayana received many prizes. These included money, a one-year contract to promote Miss Universe, and opportunities to travel the world. She also got a free apartment in New York City and many designer gifts. Part of her prize was also a scholarship to study at the New York Film Academy.
During her year as Miss Universe, Dayana traveled to many countries. She visited places like Indonesia, Spain, France, Ukraine, Brazil, and many cities across the United States. She used her platform to talk about important issues like humanitarian work and educating people about HIV/AIDS.
On August 23, 2009, Dayana crowned her successor, Stefanía Fernández, who was also from Venezuela.
Visiting Guantánamo Bay
In March 2009, Dayana visited the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. She wrote about her visit on her blog. She mentioned that it was a "relaxing place." The Miss Universe Organization later explained that her comments were about the kind welcome she received from the U.S. Military members and their families there. Her blog post about the visit was later removed.
Dayana's Artistic Work
Dayana Mendoza studied acting and filmmaking at the New York Film Academy in the United States. This was possible because of a scholarship she received from the Miss Universe Organization.
In 2009, she acted in her first short film called Sweet Misery. She also became a presenter for a TV show in Venezuela. In 2010, she hosted a talk show called Relaxed for E! Entertainment Latin America. She also appeared in a music video and a comedy show.
Dayana was a participant in the famous reality show The Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump. On the show, she met many well-known people. She finished in 6th place.
In 2013, she acted in another short film, The Mermaid Complex. In 2017, she starred in the movie Nothing's Fair in Love. In 2018, she produced her first film, Honey, which received good reviews and was recognized by the Hollywood International Film Festival. In 2019, she hosted the Queen Beauty Universe event.
Other Appearances
Dayana Mendoza has also served as a goodwill ambassador for a technology company. In June 2012, she was one of the judges for the Miss USA 2012 competition. In 2015, she appeared in a commercial for a drink with other Miss Universe winners. In January 2018, she returned to Vietnam, where she had won Miss Universe, to be a judge for the Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 pageant.
Filmography
- 2009: Sweet Misery (Short film) - Protagonist
- 2009: Portada's (TV Show) - Presenter
- 2010: Lord of the Dreams (Short Film) - Supporting Actress
- 2010: Relaxed (Interview Show) - Hostess
- 2010: Bla Bla Bla (Music Video) - Protagonist
- 2012: Celebrity Apprentice (Reality Show) - Participant
- 2013: The Mermaid Complex (Short Film) - Supporting Actress
- 2017: Nothing's Fair in Love (Short film) - Protagonist
- 2018: Honey (Short film) - Executive producer and director
- 2019: Queen Beauty Universe 2019 - Presenter
See also
In Spanish: Dayana Mendoza para niños
- Stefanía Fernández
- Hannelly Quintero
- Dayana Colmenares
- Gabriela Isler
