Joyce Giraud de Ohoven

**Joyce Marie Giraud de Ohoven** (nee Mojica; born April 4, 1975) is a Puerto Rican television personality, actress, model, producer and philanthropist. She is best known for starring in the Bravo reality series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

## Early Life

Giraud was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico.

She attended the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico where she earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Social Work and Special Education.

## Career

Giraud began modelling to help her mother pay for her university studies and became one of the top models of Puerto Rico. She has appeared in numerous national and international campaigns. She describes having been discovered while working at the drive-thu of a KFC restaurant.

After winning the Miss Universe Puerto Rico, she discovered her love of acting when director Vincente Castro cast her as the lead in his Coralito Tiene Dos Maridos, a remake of Sonia Braga's Floy y Sus Dos Maridos. She received such great reviews that she found another passion in life. After doing many small roles in her native Puerto Rico, she moved to Miami, Florida where she continued a successful modelling career. In 2001, after being the undefeated model of Star Search, she decided to take the leap toward Los Angeles where she has received parts in numerous films and television shows.

In film, Giraud has had roles in David Fincher's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Dude Where's My Car?, Miss Casataway and Slayer. She has starred in TV shows like Baywatch, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Heist and Joey. Starting in 2007, she starred in the first two seasons of Tyler Perry's House of Payne as "Angel" and in 2013 she was a lead in NBC's Siberia.

As a producer, she executive produced the film Shadow People, as well as the TV show Siberia, and is credited as co-producer on the upcoming film Back Roads, based on the bestselling novel. In 2012, Giraud creates the annual international beauty pageant Queen of the Universe, benefiting the programs of the UNESCO Foundation for Children in Need. Since then she has produced and directed the annual event. In 2014, she opened a school in Senegal, Africa with the YOU Foundation for Children in Need.

In 2014, she co-created the Spanish-language reality show Rica, Famosa Latina and also serves as its executive producer. In 2015 she also created its companion talk show Rica la Noche, serving as both its host and executive producer.

### Modelling

Giraud has been one of the few Pueto Rican supermodels, and has been featured on numerous magazine covers and in international campaigns.

In her early career, she participated in a number of beauty pageants and became a titleholder multiple times, leading to the Miss Universe 1998 pageant where she finished as runner-up. She is a two-time Miss Puerto Rico and previously represented Puero Rico as Miss World 1994. Giraud won the 1994 Miss World Puerto Rico and the titles of most beautiful hair, most beautiful smile, most beautiful face and best runway. She later represented Puerto Rico in the Queen of the Atlantics International in Spain, and won the title Queen of the Atlantics 1995. In 1997, she represented Puerto Rico in the Miss Venus International in Jacksonville, Florida and won her hometown the title. In 1998, she won the title of Miss Aguas Buenas and then was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico. She also won the titles of most beautiful hair, most beautiful face, best body and the miss photogenic award.

Despite a scandal that almost cost her the crown due to some sexy modelling shots, Giraud was cleared by Donald Trump to compete in the Miss Universe 1998 pageant in Hawaii where she was a crowd favourite and finished as second runner-up behind Veruska Ramirez of Venezuela and winner Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago. Later that year, she wrote a book called "Joyce, Dreams and Realities", based on her experiences in the Miss Universe pageant.

In 2000, Giraud became the only undefeated model to win every episode of Star Search aka Destination Stardom in Honolulu, Hawaii.

### The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

In 2013, Joyce joined the cast of the Bravo reality television series for her fourth and only season.

#### **RHOBH Taglines**

* Season 4 - "You can never be too young, too thin or too honest."

## Personal Life

### Marriages and Children

Giraud has been married once. She married producer Michael Ohoven on March 8, 2009 and together they have two sons: Leonardo Alexander Michael Mario Benjamin (born 2010) and Michael Valentino Mario Arthur Benjamin (born 2011).

## Family

**Husbands and Partners**

* Michael Ohoven (Husband; 2009-present)

**Children**

* Leonardo Giraud de Ohoven
* Michael Giraud de Ohoven

## Filmography

### Producer

 2015
 Rica la Noche
 2018
 Back Roads