Maria Menounos is an television personality, actress, and businesswoman. She has hosted several TV shows such as Extra and E! News, and she was a correspondent for Today, and Access Hollywood, and also co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest of 2006 in Athens, Greece.
Maria Menounos is of Greek ancestry, daughter of Greek parents Costas and Litsa Menounos, and speaks Greek fluently. She was born in Medford, Massachusetts (June 8, 1978).
Menounos began to enroll in beauty pageants in 1995 and in 1996 she won the title of Miss Massachusetts Teen USA. During her senior year at Boston’s Emerson College she was hired as a reporter for Channel One News, which at the time was known as the top news source for American students.
“It meant so much to him for us to be connected to our heritage, to know the language and the traditions.
Both my parents wanted that.”
Is Maria Menounos Greek?
Yes, Maria is of Greek heritage. Both of her parents are Greek.
In her own words, talking about her wedding in Greece in October of 2018 (Akovos, Arkadia):
“Love my dad so much. This was a dream for him. He was born and raised in Akovos. Though he’s the proudest American you will find, he is also equally proud of his roots…
Growing up we saved all the spare change we found on the nightclub floors we cleaned in Boston to save up and visit Greece. It meant so much to him for us to be connected to our heritage, to know the language and the traditions. Both my parents wanted that.
It took years but finally, we visited in 1988 when I was 10. I loved it. We spent almost a month in Akovos and it always held a special place in my heart. Returning to get married there was my wildest dream come true. All of our friends and family helped make it truly the most special moment of all our lives.”
