Long before she was the hated host of Netflix's dating shows, Love Is Blind and The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, Vanessa Lachey already ruled TV — from several acting roles to reality TV hosting. She famously worked as a correspondent for MTV's Total Request Live in the early 2000s, where she met her husband, Nick Lachey, who co-hosts LIB and The Ultimatum with her.
She then made history when she was cast as Special Agent Jane Tennant in NCIS Hawai'i in 2021. Nick himself knew it was Vanessa's "time." Unfortunately, the show was canceled after only three seasons, which left Vanessa "confused." Here's a closer look at her NCIS stint.
Vanessa Lachey Made TV History As NCIS' First Female Lead
Vanessa became the first female lead in the NCIS franchise in 2021. When asked about the milestone, the actress told People: "It's an honor to be able to add to this incredible franchise and to do it as the first female lead has meant more to me than I can ever express. It shows the incredible evolution and longevity that NCIS continues to give its fans."
In September 2021, when NCIS Hawai'i premiered, she shared that Nick was the "most supportive" when she was cast in the show. "I just gave him the biggest hug," Vanessa recounted. "He said, 'This is your time. And I will do whatever I need to do to support you in that.'"
'I've seen you work so hard. This is your time. Let's go.' And I'm like, thank you!
But what really melted Vanessa's heart about her role was giving her children representation on TV. "For me, when my children saw it and my daughter saw it and the way she looked at me like her Wonder Woman, and she saw me representing women, that hit me," she told Insider in 2022.
Vanessa also got to explore her dramatic skills in NCIS Hawai'i. In Season 3, she had an "emotional" episode, which she called a "full-circle moment." She was referring to how her mother, Helen, left when she was nine years old. "It dips into my mother who abandoned me. It is a very emotional episode, it is a very deep episode," she said of the storyline.
Vanessa's mother is Filipino while her dad is an American of Ashkenazi Jewish, Irish and Italian ancestry.
Vanessa's parents, Helen and Vincent Minnillo split up when she was three. After that, she lived in Turkey with her mom and her then-new husband, who also served in the military like Vincent. Then at one point, Helen dropped Vanessa off at Vincent's home in L.A., promising to come back.
Helen visited a few times but ultimately disappeared. "I didn't really understand when she didn't come for one weekend, and then another weekend," Vanessa said of her mom. "Then you just hope she's going to come back and always wonder why she didn't. It took me [time] to understand that it wasn't [my fault]."
Vanessa Lachey Was "Blindsided" By NCIS Hawai'i's Cancelation
In April, NCIS Hawai'i was canceled after three seasons, the shortest run in the franchise. When the news broke, Vanessa wrote on Instagram that she was "gutted, confused, blindsided." She added: "Grateful, confident, beloved fans... Processing this news and still being present with my family. I love you all! Mahalo Nui Loa (thank you very much)."
CBS drew flak for canceling NCIS Hawai'i . But CBS Entertainment president, Amy Reisenbach, said it was due to the network's "stability" and cost-cutting needs.
CBS canceled several shows back then, including CSI: Vegas, So Help Me Todd, and The Big Bang Theory's spin-off, Young Sheldon, whose story was already done anyway. Amy explained to Variety that "they're extremely tough calls to make," adding that she was just as disappointed as most fans, but the "numbers" brought them to that decision.
"I'm a big fan of TV first and I sympathize and relate to all of the fans out there who are disappointed in the fact that these shows are ending," said the CBS exec. "But at the end of the day, our job at CBS is to make those really tough calls. We toss and turn and have sleepless nights and have endless discussions but we look at all of the numbers."
"We look at what our projections are for the future, we look at where we see opportunities to potentially have even bigger success on the schedule. And we make those tough decisions."
Fans initially hoped the cancelation would be reversed. But in August, Vanessa revealed that she and her family were moving out of Hawaii. "'A Hui Hou' ❤️ Home is where the heart is," she wrote alongside a photo of herself. "Hawai'i, you will always have my heart! Mahalo Nui Loa for 3 beautiful, magical years you gave me and my family! Now, on to the next adventure. Off into the sunset we go! #LacheyPartyOf5 #AlohaSpirit."
Vanessa got her career start when she won Miss Teen USA in 1998. Aside from her long TV credits, she also appeared in films, like 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Disaster Movie (2008), and Once Upon a Main Street (2022). In April, the actress got emotional on E! News, reflecting on her career from TRL to NCIS.
Vanessa Lachey Has Been Criticized For Her Hosting Style On Love Is Blind
Vanessa's TV success hasn't been without criticism. Recently, she's been slammed for her hosting skills on Love Is Blind. "She asks all the wrong questions, takes the wrong sides and then goes, 'time to move on' before anyone's answered a single thing," wrote an X (formerly Twitter) user following the Season 4 reunion in April 2023.
Fans also accused Vanessa of being "biased" during reunions. But fans think Vanessa and Nick finally "redeemed" themselves in March, following the Season 6 reunion. "Vanessa actually asking the right questions, shade being thrown in every angle, the girls are fighting and there's still an hour left," a viewer wrote. "This reunion is giving."
Fans especially loved the fact that Vanessa and Nick stood up for the actual victims of that season. "That reunion was probably the best yet!" said another viewer. "Nick and Vanessa tearing into Trevor, Laura putting Jeramy in a body bag, the ladies calling out Sarah Ann for being a pick-me from the jump, AD not being with Clay etc."
But this time, the couple are up against Love Is Blind: UK hosts, Emma and Matt Willis, who fans seem to love more. The Lacheys better step it up...
