Who is Olivia Culpo? Everything to know about the former Miss Universe

Olivia Culpo made history in 2012 when she became the first American to be crowned Miss Universe in 15 years. Born on May 8, 1992, she was twenty years old when she won the pageant in December 2012.

Since then, Culpo has achieved a lot in her personal and professional life. However, the current highlight is her pregnancy announcement, which has led to her friends, family, and millions of fans showering her and her husband Christian McCaffrey with their love and best wishes.

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About Olivia Culpo, former Miss Universe

Born and raised in Rhode Island, Olivia Culpo is the third oldest of five children. She is of Italian descent but also has some Irish ancestors on her mother, Susan Culpo's side. Although she attended Boston University, she did not graduate from there.

Culpo began studying the cello in the second grade and performed at the Boston Accompanietta after attending the Brevard Music Center for two summers. The 2012 Miss Rhode Island USA was the first beauty pageant she had ever competed in, and luckily, she won it.

Culpo next won against 50 other contestants in Miss USA 2012, which made her the first contestant from Rhode Island to have done so. By the end of that year, she became Miss Universe by beating out 88 other contestants.

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Olivia Culpo was not into pageants before she entered the Miss Rhode Island USA

Olivia Culpo at 2024 Fox Upfront (Image via Getty)

In an interview with The Arcadia dated August 2, 2015, Culpo recounted that her parents discouraged her from entering the world of pageantry. She said:

I asked my parents if I could do it, and they thought it was a terrible idea.

Culpo being young and rebellious did it anyway. She further said:

I was just 18 years old at the time and I couldn't afford to enter it really, but ... I had nothing to lose.

In addition to the lack of her parents' support, she also did not even have the outfit for the pageant. However, there was no lack of confidence and determination in her as she was already signed up with a modeling agency when her friend suggested that she sign up for the pageant.

In an interview with GQ dated June 8, 2012, when asked how long she had been in pageants, she said:

Miss Rhode Island was my first and I wore a $20 dress that I rented with a hole in the back. It still looked cute, but nobody would have known that I rented it for twenty dollars.

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Olivia Culpo has a flourishing professional career

Olivia Culpo has become a successful model, actress, and influencer. Besides collaborating with beauty and fashion brands like L'Oréal and Kipling, she was also featured on the cover of the 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue alongside Kate Bock and Jasmine Sanders.

Culpo has starred in movies like The Other Woman and Venus as a Boy. According to an article by The Boston Globe, dated 29, 2017, she also started a restaurant with her family in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. In 2022, she appeared alongside her sisters Aurora Culpo and Sophia Culpo in the TLC reality TV series The Culpo Sisters.

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Olivia Culpo is expecting her first baby with Christian McCaffrey

Recently, the former Miss Universe took to Instagram to announce that she is expecting her first baby. In the Instagram post, she shared two black-and-white pictures wearing a flowy dress with the caption:

"next chapter, motherhood"

After dating four years, Olivia Culpo and the San Francisco 49ers running back, Christian McCaffrey announced their engagement in April 2023. The couple married in Rhode Island over a year later, and are now growing their family.