Chrissy Teigen

Who Is Chrissy Teigen?

Chrissy Teigen is a renowned model, television personality, and social media influencer. She first gained prominence as a model, landing the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue in 2010. Following this success, she transitioned into television, most notably as the host of Model Employee and as a color commentator on the popular show Lip Sync Battle. In addition to her television career, Teigen became a beloved figure on social media, particularly Twitter, where she amassed millions of followers. She is married to musician John Legend, and the couple shares two children.

Early Life and Modeling Career

Born Christine Diane Teigen on November 30, 1985, in Delta, Utah, Teigen grew up in Seattle, Washington. Her mother hails from Thailand, and her father is of Norwegian descent. Despite a lack of interest in modeling during her early years—she had aspirations of becoming a teacher or working with food—Teigen’s career took an unexpected turn when she was discovered at the age of 18 while working at a surf shop in California.

Teigen’s big break came in 2010 when she was named Rookie of the Year for Sports Illustrated’s iconic swimsuit issue. She went on to appear on the cover of the magazine again in 2014, alongside models Nina Agdal and Lily Aldridge, and worked with top publications such as Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Italian Vogue.

Cravings and Social Media Success

In 2011, Teigen expanded her career beyond modeling by launching a food blog called So Delushious, where she shared recipes and insights into her culinary passions. As she shared with Marie Claire, she wanted to move beyond the modeling world and create an outlet for her love of food. This led to the publication of her bestselling cookbook, Cravings: Recipes for All of the Food You Want to Eat, in 2016. She followed it up with a second cookbook, Cravings: Hungry for More, in 2018, and launched the Cravings cookware line through Target.

Teigen’s candid and humorous social media presence has also contributed to her popularity, amassing over 12 million Twitter followers by 2020. However, following criticism of her Cravings site as a “content farm,” she took a temporary hiatus from social media in 2020, citing the negative impact of online trolling.

Teigen’s multifaceted career, which spans modeling, television, cooking, and social media, has made her a household name and a prominent figure in the entertainment and lifestyle sectors.

Television Career: ‘Lip Sync Battle,’ ‘FabLife,’ and ‘Bring the Funny’

Chrissy Teigen’s striking beauty and charismatic personality made her a natural fit for television. She began her career in the spotlight as a guest host on the entertainment news show EXTRA in 2010, later moving on to host the 2013 VH1 reality series Model Employee. While the show did not gain significant traction, Teigen found greater success as the “color commentator” on Lip Sync Battle, which debuted in 2015. Co-hosted with LL Cool J, the show features celebrity contestants competing in a lip-sync performance battle, with the goal of captivating the audience through their performances.

In the same year, Teigen expanded her television presence by joining FabLife, a daytime talk show produced by Tyra Banks. Alongside co-hosts Joe Zee, Lauren Makk, and Leah Ashley, Teigen contributed as the food expert. Despite the star-studded lineup, FabLife struggled with low ratings and was canceled after one season following Banks’ departure.

Teigen returned to television in 2019 as a judge on the comedy competition series Bring the Funny, where she joined Jeff Foxworthy, Kenan Thompson, and host Amanda Seales. The following year, she took on a new role as a Judge Judy-style mediator on Chrissy’s Court for Quibi, adjudicating petty disputes in a lighthearted, humorous format.

Personal Life

Teigen’s personal life has been as public as her career. She met singer John Legend in 2006 when she was cast in the music video for his song “Stereo,” and the two quickly became romantically involved. After getting engaged in 2011, they married in a romantic ceremony in Lake Como, Italy, in September 2013, with Teigen’s close friend and fellow model Brooklyn Decker serving as maid of honor.

Teigen and Legend’s journey to parenthood was marked by challenges with fertility. In 2015, the couple shared the joyous news that they were expecting their first child, daughter Luna Simone Stephens, who was born on April 14, 2016.

In November 2017, Teigen revealed that she was expecting again, sharing a photo of her growing baby bump on Snapchat. Their son, Miles Theodore Stephens, was born on May 16, 2018.

In August 2020, Teigen and Legend announced they were expecting their third child, revealing the news through a music video for Legend’s song “Wild.” Tragically, in September 2020, the couple experienced the heartbreaking loss of their son, Jack, due to pregnancy complications.