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Jeannie Mai

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Jeannie Mai
Mai in 2017
Born
Jeannie Camtu Mai

(1979-01-04) January 4, 1979 (age 45)
San Jose, California, U.S.
Other namesJeannie Mai Jenkins[1]
Occupations
  • Television host
  • stylist
Years active1998–present
Television
Spouses
Freddy Harteis
​
​
(m. 2007; div. 2018)​
​
​
(m. 2021; div. 2024)​
Children1

Jeannie Camtu Mai (born January 4, 1979) is an American television personality, best known for her work on the makeover show How Do I Look? and the syndicated daytime talk show The Real. As a fashion expert, she is frequently featured on television programs such as Today, Extra TV, Entertainment Tonight, and Insider. She has also appeared as a host for E! and as a red carpet host for the American Music Awards. Mai was a correspondent for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Miss Universe pageants; she co-hosted the 2022 and 2023 editions as well.

Early life

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Jeannie Mai was born and raised in San Jose, California,[2] to a Chinese Vietnamese father and a Vietnamese mother.[3][4][5] She attended Milpitas High School.[4]

Career

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1997–2004

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At age 18, Mai launched her career as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics while still living in San Jose.[6] As a trainer, she worked her way from face to face until she was eventually traveling the world to work for celebrities such as Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys.[7] This led her to also serve as a celebrity-makeup stylist for MTV's Total Request Live, KCAL Los Angeles, and Good Day Sacramento.[7][8]

In 2003, Mai began auditioning for local television networks with self-written scripts to demonstrate her hosting talents. She was hired to co-host the Asian-American magazine-style show Stir on the International Channel.[8] Later, the San Francisco-based California Music Channel hired her to host her own music countdown. Mai went on to become an entertainment reporter and producer of the WB's The Daily Mixx.[9]

In 2005, Mai landed her first primetime hosting role on Character Fantasy on the USA Network, where she inspired guests each week to live their fantasies.[10] Following this, she moved to Los Angeles to appear on MTV's Granted alongside Frankie Muniz and hosted segments related to fashion and entertainment news on networks such as E!, Lifetime, TLC, and NBC on the lattermost's talk morning program Today.[11][12] She also started appearing as a member of the beauty squad on TLC's 10 Years Younger. In 2008, Mai hosted TLC's Miss America Reality Check. She also starred in the makeover special Dude, Where's Your Style, and became spokesperson of the cosmetics Never Accept Ordinary. The following year, Mai became host of the Style Network's fashion makeover show How Do I Look?.[13] She also served as a correspondent and weekend host on NBC's Extra TV with Mario Lopez. In the digital realm, Mai was the resident contributor to Perez Hilton's fashion site Cocoperez.com.[14] In 2011, Mai began hosting the Miss Universe pageant and was a fashion consultant on the NBC weight-loss competition The Biggest Loser.[9][15] Furthermore, Mai also hosted the stylist competition The Next Style Star from Maker Studios, and was the digital correspondent for NBC's Fashion Star.[16][17] In 2012, she appeared as a guest judge on Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1.

2013–present:

[edit]

In 2013, Mai became the host of a live weekly series titled Style Pop on the Style Network.[18] It ran for one season. From 2013 to 2022, Mai served as a co-host of the syndicated daytime talk show The Real, originally alongside Adrienne Bailon, Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, and Tamera Mowry. The show premiered on July 15, 2013.[19][20] Following a trial summer run during 2013 on the Fox Television Stations group, it was picked up to series the following year.[21] In 2018, Mai and her co-hosts won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for their work.[22] In 2015, Mai hosted the reality competition Steampunk'd on GSN. She was also a fashion correspondent on Entertainment Tonight.

In 2016, Mai brought her show How Do I Look? to Asia's Diva network. The following year, she portrayed Lady Luck on the American game show The Joker's Wild. Mai also became an ambassador for ReimagineMyself.com a program encouraging people living with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) to reimagine life with the chronic disease.[23]

From 2019 to 2022, Mai was a correspondent for Holey Moley on ABC.[24]

On September 2, 2020, Mai was announced as one of the celebrities competing on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars.[25][26] She was forced to exit the show on November 2, 2020, after being diagnosed with epiglottitis, an inflammatory condition that can cause swelling and block airflow to the lungs.[27]

On October 18, 2022, Mai was announced as the host of America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation, which premiered on December 9, 2022.[28]

On January 4, 2023, Mai and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo were announced as hosts for the 71st Miss Universe pageant to be held at New Orleans, Louisiana on January 14.[29][30]

Mai, Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel and Alden Richards were announced as hosts for the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 to be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, on May 22, 2024.[31][32]

On October 14, 2024, Lifetime announced its lineup of holiday movies for the upcoming Christmas season. Among them, Mai will appear in a supporting role in "Christmas In The Spotlight," a romantic holiday comedy that will loosely interpret the real-life relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.[33][34]

Personal life

[edit]

Mai is a Christian.[35] She married Freddy Harteis on August 11, 2007;[36] the couple divorced in December 2018.[37]

In 2019, Mai announced that she had started dating rapper Jeezy.[38] The couple married in 2021 at their home in Atlanta, Georgia.[39][40] In January 2022, it was announced that Mai had given birth to a daughter.[41][42] On September 14, 2023, Jenkins filed for divorce from Mai, seeking joint legal custody of their daughter.[43] On June 12, 2024, the divorce was finalized.[44]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2016 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host The Real (shared with Adrienne Houghton, Tamar Braxton, Loni Love and Tamera Mowry-Housley) Nominated [45]
2017 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host The Real (shared with Braxton, Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) Nominated [46]
2018 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Talk Series The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) Won [47]
2018 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) Won [48]
2019 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Talk Series The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) Won [49]
2019 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) Nominated [50]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Jeannie Mai Jenkins Shares Why She Took Jeezy's Last Name After Tying the Knot". Showbiz Cheatsheet. June 16, 2021.
  2. ^ Walcott, Escher (December 4, 2023) [December 4, 2023]. "Jeannie Mai Says She Learned Jeezy Filed for Divorce at 'Same Time as the Rest of the World': 'I Was Gutted'". Peoplemag. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Real Jeannie Mai". Beverly Hills Vibe. Retrieved November 12, 2020. Hailing from San Jose, Calif., her father, James Mai, is a hardware engineer; her mother, Olivia Duong, is a manager at a laser center.
  4. ^ a b Barney, Chuck (February 13, 2020). "San Jose's Jeannie Mai slams jokes about coronavirus and Asians". The Mercury News. San Jose, California. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020. Mai was born and raised in San Jose to a Vietnamese mother and a Vietnamese Chinese father.
  5. ^ Mai, Jeannie (March 23, 2020). "Jeannie Mai Condemns Coronavirus Racism: 'Hate Will Get You Sick, Even if the Virus Doesn't'". People. Retrieved July 16, 2020. She is of Vietnamese and Chinese descent.
  6. ^ Veridiano, Ruby (February 1, 2016). "Jeannie Mai: Embracing My Vietnamese-American Heritage Has 'Made Me Who I Am'". NBC News. Universal Pictures. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Walker, Jodi (June 8, 2014). "Jeannie Mai Is So Much More Than a Miss USA Host". Bustle. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Tennant, Thomas (September 27, 2018). "Do You Know How Jeannie Mai Launched Her Career?". ThoughtCo. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Jeannie Mai". TheReal. Warner Brothers Entertainment. January 1, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "Recording Artists Evan and Jaron to Host USA Network's Character Road Trip and On-Air Personality and Style Maven Jeannie Mai to Host USA Network's Character Fantasy". The Futon Critic. September 29, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  11. ^ Weisman, Jon (August 5, 2009). "'Today' to give lifestyle tips". Variety.
  12. ^ Weprin, Alex (August 5, 2009). "Style Network Repurposing Segments From NBC's 'Today'". Broadcasting & Cable.
  13. ^ Gorman, Bill (March 17, 2011). "The Style Network Sets Season 12 Of "How Do I Look?" To Premiere April 2" (Press release). TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2013.,
  14. ^ Hilton, Perez (February 8, 2011). "Jeannie Mai's Fashion Must Have: Leather Leggings!". PerezHilton.com. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  15. ^ Lewis, Hilary (July 7, 2015). "Miss USA Co-Host Jeannie Mai Drops Out". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  16. ^ "Jeannie Mai to Host The Next Style Star". RMN Stars Global Entertainment. April 1, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  17. ^ Swift, Andy (August 5, 2011). "'How Do I Look' Host Jeannie Mai Joins NBC's 'Fashion Star' As Digital Fashionista!". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  18. ^ Bibel, Sara (May 22, 2013). "'Style Pop' to Premiere Live, Thursday, June 6 on Style". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  19. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 31, 2013). "Tamera Mowry & Tamar Braxton Among Hosts Of New Syndicated Talk Show Getting Summer Trial Run On Fox Stations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  20. ^ "It's Official: 'The Real' Talk Show Begins Four-Week Test Run July 15". Deadline Hollywood. June 12, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  21. ^ Block, Alex Ben (October 31, 2013). "'The Real' Gets National Syndication and Cable Pick Up". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  22. ^ Kiefer, Halle (April 30, 2018). "Here Are Your 2018 Daytime Emmy Award Winners". Vulture. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  23. ^ Browley, Jasmine (November 1, 2017). "Jeannie Mai Keeps it Real About MS and Confidence". Made. Made Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  24. ^ "Jeannie Mai | Holey Moley". American Broadcasting Company.
  25. ^ Peter White (September 2, 2020). "Dancing With The Stars: ABC Unveils Season 29 Cast Including Tiger King's Carole Baskin & Rapper Nelly". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  26. ^ "Dancing with the Stars Heads Back Into the Ballroom for Its 2020 Season with Some Cha-Cha-Changes and a Brand-New Celebrity Cast" (Press release). ABC. September 2, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
  27. ^ Atad, Corey (November 2, 2020). "Jeannie Mai Forced Off 'Dancing With The Stars' After Being Hospitalized For Rare Condition". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  28. ^ Petski, Denise (October 18, 2022). "Jeannie Mai Jenkins Tapped To Host 'America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation' On Amazon Freevee". Deadline. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  29. ^ Purnell, Kristofer. "Olivia Culpo, Jeannie Mai Jenkins to host Miss Universe 2022; Catriona Gray serving as backstage commentator". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  30. ^ Schneider, Michael (January 4, 2023). "Olivia Culpo, Jeannie Mai Jenkins to Host 71st Miss Universe Telecast (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  31. ^ Adina, Armin (May 7, 2024). "Jeannie Mai to host Miss Universe Philippines 2024 coronation". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  32. ^ Purnell, Kristofer (May 2, 2024). "Alden Richards returning to host Miss Universe Philippines 2024 coronation night". Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  33. ^ Perez, Lexy (October 15, 2024). "Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce-Inspired Lifetime Holiday Movie Gets a First Look". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  34. ^ Longeretta, Emily (October 15, 2024). "Lifetime Unveils 2024 Holiday Movie Schedule, Including Rom-Com Inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce". Variety. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  35. ^ Christine Thomasos (2015). "'The Real' Co-Host Jeannie Mai Shares How a Missions Trip Strengthened Her Relationship With God". Christian Post. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  36. ^ Hatmaker, Julia (June 28, 2011). "Linglestown native becomes reality TV star in 'Hollywood Hunter'". The Patriot-News. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  37. ^ Naumann, Ryan; Walters, Liz (January 4, 2019). "Jeannie Mai Settles Divorce, Keeps $1.2 Million L.A. Mansion". The Blast. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  38. ^ "The Real's Jeannie Mai Opens up About Dating Rapper Jeezy: "I Found My Equal"". September 16, 2019.
  39. ^ "Jeannie Mai and Jeezy Are Engaged! Inside Their 'Quarantine Date Night' Proposal". People. April 4, 2020.
  40. ^ Macon, Alexandra (April 2021). "Inside Jeezy and Jeannie Mai's Intimate Wedding Ceremony at Their Home in Atlanta". Vogue. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  41. ^ "Jeannie Mai Jenkins Introduces Baby Monaco for the First Time 5 Months After Her Birth".
  42. ^ Etienne, Vanessa (January 11, 2022). "Jeannie Mai Welcomes First Child with Husband Jeezy a daughter named Monaco Mai Jenkins: 'Baby Jenkins Is Here'". people.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  43. ^ "Rapper Jeezy Files for Divorce From 'The Real' Host Jeannie Mai Jenkins". The Hollywood Reporter. September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  44. ^ "Jeezy and Jeannie Mai Jenkins' Relationship Timeline". Peoplemag. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  45. ^ "The 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). New York City: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 24, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  46. ^ "The 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations" (PDF). New York City: emmyonline.org and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 22, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  47. ^ "NAACP Image Awards: 'Marshall,' 'Get Out,' 'Girls Trip' Dominate Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. November 20, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  48. ^ "2018 Daytime Emmys full list of winners: Every category, every nominee at the 45th Daytime Emmy Awards". Gold Derby. April 29, 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  49. ^ "Nominees (Craft - Non-Drama)". The Emmys. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  50. ^ Bueno, Antoinette (March 20, 2019). "2019 Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations: The Complete List!". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
[edit]
Media offices
Preceded by Hosts of Miss Universe
2022 – present
With: Olivia Culpo 		Incumbent
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