Nguyễn Thị Thiên Thanh (born October 24, 1981), better known by her stage names Tila Tequila, Tila Nguyen, Miss Tila and Tornado Thien, is an American television and social media personality. She first gained recognition for her active presence on

social networking websites A social networking service or SNS (sometimes called a social networking site) is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, act ...

. After becoming the most popular person on Myspace, Tequila was offered the opportunity to star in her own reality television series. Her

bisexuality Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...

-themed dating show, ''

A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila ''A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila'' is an American reality television dating game show similar to the TV show '' The Bachelor''. It premiered on October 9, 2007 on MTV starring Tila Tequila. The series consists of a bisexual-themed reality dati ...

'' (2007), aired for two seasons and became

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

's second highest-rated series premiere of that year. Born in Singapore and raised in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, Tequila moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in 2001 to pursue her modeling career. After being featured in numerous men's magazines (including ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'', ''

Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly (author), Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jere ...

'' and ''

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...

''), she made her reality television debut on the VH1 show '' Surviving Nugent'' (2003). Besides her career in modeling and television, Tequila also pursued her career as a recording artist. She was the lead singer of the bands Beyond Betty Jean and Jealousy, before launching a solo career. Her debut single " I Love U" was released in 2007 to mixed reviews. Despite having strong online sales, the song failed to enter any charts. Tequila followed with several independently released singles, including "

Stripper Friends "Stripper Friends" is a song recorded by American recording artist Tila Tequila. It was released as her second single on October 9, 2007. Written by Aimee Allen, it is a cover version of her song of the same name from her album ''I'd Start a Revo ...

" and "Paralyze". In 2010, she released her second EP, ''

Welcome to the Dark Side ''Welcome to the Darkside'' is the second studio Extended play, EP by American recording artist Tila Tequila, released under the name Miss Tila. It was released on May 11, 2010 by her independent record label Little Miss Trendsetter. Originally in ...

''. Her book, ''Hooking Up With Tila Tequila: A Guide to Love, Fame, Happiness, Success, and Being the Life of the Party'', was published in 2008. After expressing her support of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

, and making

antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

and

white nationalist White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...

comments, she was expelled from ''

Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...

''.

Early life

Nguyen was born in Singapore, where her family were

Vietnamese boat people Vietnamese boat people ( vi, Thuyền nhân Việt Nam), also known simply as boat people, refers to the refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its h ...

, who arrived from Vietnam after the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Nguyen has an older brother, Daniel, and older sister, Terri. When she was one year old, the family relocated to a neighborhood in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and were eventually admitted to a

gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...

run by a strict

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple. The family left the community when Nguyen was eight. Nguyen was nicknamed "Tila Tequila" by friends due to her apparent allergy to alcohol. In her memoir, she would later explain that she felt "confused" and "lost" by various personal family and environmental issues. She turned to writing poetry in an attempt to release powerful emotions. At age 16, Nguyen ran away to

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, for several months. While still 16, she experienced a

drive-by shooting A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...

in Houston. She reports having become pregnant and suffering a

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...

the following year. Nguyen graduated from

Alief Hastings High School Alief Hastings High School is a public high school in the Alief area of Houston, Texas, United States. Originally Alief Junior-Senior High School, which became Alief Middle School, housed all of the secondary students in the district. The schoo ...

in 2000. She has cited her violent adolescence in Texas as her reason for becoming a model and moving to California in 2001. In a March 2003 interview, she revealed that she has taken some college classes but does not have a degree, stating, "I didn't want to go to college for an actual degree because there's nothing out there I like besides doing something that involves the

entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...

Career

2001–2005: Modeling career, Beyond Betty Jean and Myspace

Nguyen's career began at the age of 19 when she was discovered at the

Sharpstown Mall PlazAmericas, formerly known as Sharpstown Mall and earlier Sharpstown Center, is a shopping mall located in the Sharpstown development in Greater Sharpstown, Houston, Texas. The mall is located on the northwest corner of Interstate 69/ U.S. Ro ...

by a ''

'' scout and was offered a chance to model nude for the magazine. She did a test shoot, then eventually moved to

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

and was featured as ''Playboy''s

Cybergirl of the Week ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. Kn ...

on April 22, 2002, and soon thereafter she became the first Asian Cyber Girl of the Month. (Retrieved through the Wayback Machine) A few more pictorials for the magazine followed. At age 20, Nguyen acted on her interest in

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

and started looking for bands willing to let her join. She eventually assembled a band called Beyond Betty Jean, for which she was singer and songwriter. Beyond Betty Jean eventually broke up and Nguyen started working in recording studios to sharpen her vocal skills and wrote music. Later, she became the lead singer of a band called Jealousy, which released a few songs online before breaking up. In 2003, Nguyen was a contestant on VH1's ''Surviving Nugent'', a

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

show where participants performed compromising tasks and stunts for rock star

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock an ...

. Nguyen gained further popularity through the import racing scene. She has been featured on the cover of ''Import Tuner'' magazine, at car shows such as Hot Import Nights, and in the video game ''

Street Racing Syndicate ''Street Racing Syndicate'' is a multiplatform racing video game produced by Eutechnyx, and released by Namco on August 31, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox and Windows-based personal computers. The game was also released for the Game B ...

''. Nguyen joined Myspace in the fall of 2003 after getting booted off of

Friendster Friendster was a social network game based in Mountain View, California, founded by Jonathan Abrams and launched in March 2003.Eric Eldon, August 4, 2008.Friendster raises $20 million, nabs a Googler to be CEO VentureBeat. Retrieved December 4, 2 ...

multiple times. ''Time'' magazine, in a 2006 profile of Nguyen noted her impact on the platform stating "Pre-Tila, your MySpace friends were mostly people you actually knew. Post-Tila, the biggest game on the site became Who Has the Most Friends, period, whoever they might be," also calling her, the "Queen" of the site.

2006–2009: Solo career, and ''A Shot at Love''

During the first season of Fuse TV's dance show, ''

Pants-Off Dance-Off ''Pants-Off Dance-Off'' (''PODO'') is a dance contest that premiered on April 18, 2006 on Fuse. It features stripteasers as they dance while disrobing. Format In each episode, five contestants striptease to a music video, while interviews, so ...

'', on which a group of contestants

strip Strip or Stripping may refer to: Places * Aouzou Strip, a strip of land following the northern border of Chad that had been claimed and occupied by Libya * Caprivi Strip, narrow strip of land extending from the Okavango Region of Namibia to ...

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

s, Nguyen was the most frequent host. In April 2006, during the taping of an interview with

's ''

Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...

'' VJs,

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

announced that Nguyen had been signed to the Will.I.Am music group, a record label under

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

. Despite this major-label signing, Nguyen independently released her first single " I Love U" through

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

on February 27, 2007, justifying the independent release through her desire to become famous by herself. She also shot a music video for the song. In March 2007, Washington-based record label The Saturday Team released an EP called ''

Sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...

'', by Tila Tequila. On July 27, 2007, Italian website MusicBlob reported that The Saturday Team and distributor Icon Music Entertainment Services sued Nguyen over breaching her contract related to the album. However, Nguyen claimed in a MySpace bulletin that the EP was not authorized for release by her, and was removed from most retailers. The Saturday Team won a legal case, making ''Sex'' available for digital purchase. Nguyen made an appearance as one of the 12 strangers in the first game on April 6, 2007, episode of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

's game show ''

Identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...

''. On March 4, 2007, she made a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...

on the show '' The War At Home''. She also appeared as a

Hooters Girl Hooters is the registered trademark used by two American restaurant chains: Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida, and Hooters of America, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by the private investment firm Nord Bay Capital (with ...

in the 2007 film ''

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry'' (also simply known as ''Chuck & Larry'') is a 2007 American buddy comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan. It stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters Chuck and Larry, respectively, two New Yo ...

''.

In May 2007, Nguyen began filming for a

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

which first aired on MTV on October 9, 2007, as ''A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila''. The program was a

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

-themed dating show where 16

straight Straight may refer to: Slang * Straight, slang for heterosexual ** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype * Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture Sport and games * Str ...

men and 16

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

women competed for Nguyen's affections, the twist being that the contestants were not aware of her bisexuality until the end of the first episode. The ten-episode series was produced by

SallyAnn Salsano SallyAnn Salsano (born c. 1974) is an American television producer. Her company, 495 Productions, has produced several television reality shows for MTV and syndication, including ''Jersey Shore '' and ''The Real''. Biography Salsano was raised in ...

and MTV. The show led to a heated online debate between Nguyen and conservative Christians after an article appeared on ''

The Christian Post ''The Christian Post'' is an American nondenominational Christianity, non-denominational, Conservatism, conservative, Evangelicalism, evangelical Christian media, Christian online newspaper. Based in Washington, D.C., it was founded in March 200 ...

'' on September 13, 2007. After seeing the article, Nguyen wrote an impassioned response in her blog on September 28, 2007, criticizing churches for " bashing" the

gay community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and social ...

while thanking God for saving her life. The show premiered for a second season in April 2008 and became a popular gossip subject in Asian media, such as ''

AsianWeek ''AsianWeek'' was America's first and largest English language print and on-line publication serving Asian Americans. The news organization played an important role nationally and in the San Francisco Bay Area as the “Voice of Asian America”. ...

''. The season finale premiered July 8, 2008, the winner being Kristy Morgan, who declined her "shot at love". On October 9, 2007, Nguyen released her second official single, "

". A video premiered via

Yahoo! Music Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds of ...

on February 26, 2008, and was released to

on March 4, 2008. The single failed to chart. In April 2008, the single "Paralyze" and its accompanying music video were released via

and

. The "I Love U Remixes" EP was released to digital music retailers on April 7, 2009. On December 2, 2008, Nguyen released a

self-help book A self-help book is one that is written with the intention to instruct its readers on solving personal problems. The books take their name from '' Self-Help'', an 1859 best-seller by Samuel Smiles, but are also known and classified under "self- ...

, ''Hooking Up with Tila Tequila: A Guide to Love, Fame, Happiness, Success, and Being the Life of the Party'' ().

2010–2014: ''Welcome to the Darkside'' and hiatus

Matchstik And Tila Tequila On The Red Carpet

By 2010, Tequila decided to reinvent her image and changed her stage name to Miss Tila. Her first single released under the new moniker was "I Fucked the DJ", along with an edited version entitled "I Love My DJ". Released under her newly established label Little Miss Trendsetter, the single received negative reviews and failed to be successful in charts. In May, she launched her celebrity gossip blog, MissTilaOMG.com, and the EP, '' Welcome to the Darkside'', which marked a musical departure from her previous material. Influenced by classical music and artists such as

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...

and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

, ''Welcome to the Darkside'' received more positive reviews. However, it did not manage to gain commercial success. Tequila began a tour supporting the new EP and at one of her tour stops in August 2010, she appeared at the

Gathering of the Juggalos The Gathering of the Juggalos (The Gathering or GOTJ) is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by ...

, a music festival founded by hip hop duo

Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler ...

. She was repeatedly pelted with rocks and bottles among other objects, and she vowed to take legal action against the organizers and promoters for the event. During this time, a

sex tape Amateur pornography is a category of pornography that features models, actors or non-professionals performing without pay, or actors for whom this material is not their only paid modeling work. Reality pornography is made porn that seeks to em ...

featuring a lesbian threesome in which she performed was leaked. Tequila tried to buy back the tape before its release, but couldn't come to terms with

Vivid Entertainment Vivid Entertainment Group is an American pornographic film production company,

. She later starred in a sex tape that won a 2015

AVN Award The AVN Awards are List of movie awards, film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine ''AVN (magazine), AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and m ...

for "Best Celebrity Sex Tape".

2015–present: ''Celebrity Big Brother'' and return to music

In May 2015, it was announced that Nguyen was working on new music. In June, she posted a snippet of the song "Drunk Dialing" on her

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

and wrote it would be released in the Summer. In August, she became one of the contestants on the sixteenth season of Channel 5 reality series ''

''. However, she was ejected from the house after just one day, due to many viewer complaints of her controversial statements made in 2013, when she posted

anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

comments and praised

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

dictator

on Facebook. Tequila posted a snippet of "Drunk Dialing" again in September and confirmed it would be released by the end of October along with a music video. In November, Tequila and her management confirmed the single would be released on December 4. Tequila also announced her own line of

e-liquid An electronic cigarette is a handheld battery-powered vaporizer that simulates smoking, but without tobacco combustion. E-cigarette components include a mouthpiece (drip tip), a cartridge (liquid storage area), a heating element/ atomizer, a mic ...

s for vaporizers in collaboration with Blaze Vapors.

Other ventures

In July 2001, Nguyen started the website TilasHotSpot.com, which later began redirecting to MissTila.com. Originally the site featured information, quotes, blog, and pictorials requiring adult verification and a monthly fee. Later, the site was revamped to feature all-ages content and information to promote her career, business ventures, personal information, and a premium membership section including videos, non-nude picture galleries, blogs, and chat sessions. In 2008 the site was transformed into a

social network A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...

. During 2005, Nguyen launched TilaFashion.com, a site featuring her custom line of clothing for men and women. In 2006, Nguyen created another website, TilaZone.com which features content to use on Myspace and other

social networking A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...

websites including layouts, widgets, and clipart. In December 2009, Nguyen partnered with

Joe Francis Joseph R. Francis (born April 1, 1973) is an American entrepreneur, film producer and the founder and creator of the Girls Gone Wild entertainment brand. Francis worked as a production assistant on the syndicated program ''Real TV'' before rele ...

to launch the now-defunct dating website TilasHotSpotDating.com, aimed at people ages 18 and up. The site included a free membership with basic access, and paid membership for other areas of the site. Nguyen took in webcam chats on the site. In 2010, Nguyen launched a celebrity blog site, MissTilaOMG.com, which was transformed into her personal blog in 2012. As of 2018, Nguyen sells artwork online under the name of Tornado Thien.

Public image

Nguyen was featured on the cover of the April 2006 issue of ''

'' magazine; in the interview, she claimed that her nickname "Tila Tequila" came about when she experimented with alcohol at the age of 13. She appeared on the August 2006 ''Maxim'' UK cover, was named #88 in their Hot 100 List, and also appeared in the December 2007 issue. She was ranked #100 on the

Maxim Hot 100 ''Maxim'' is an international men's magazine, devised and launched in the UK in 1995, but based in New York City since 1997, and prominent for its photography of actors, singers, and female models whose careers are at a current peak. ''Maxim'' ...

list in 2008. Nguyen has been featured on the front page of magazines such as ''

Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...

'', ''

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

'', ''

Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...

'', and most recently '' Steppin' Out''.

Neo-Nazism

In December 2013, Nguyen posted an article on her website titled "Why I Sympathize with Hitler: Part I". She also posted pro-Hitler and antisemitic comments on her

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

page, as well as photos of herself as a scantily clad

posing in front of a photo of the

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

. These actions angered her Facebook followers, and resulted in Facebook closing her account and removing the material in question. In August 2015, Tequila became a contestant in the sixteenth series of British television reality show ''

'', but was asked to leave the program on its second day when producers became aware of her comments and photos. She subsequently apologized for her earlier comments, blaming them on depression and drug addiction. On May 6, 2016, Nguyen

tweeted Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that

Jewish-American American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora J ...

political commentator

Ben Shapiro Benjamin Aaron Shapiro (born January 15, 1984) is an American attorney, businessman, columnist, conservative political commentator, and media personality. At age 17, he became the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the United States. ...

should "be gassed and sent back to Israel" and later posted that "There are only two things in this world, for which I would gladly sacrifice my own life; the destruction of all Jews and preservation of the white race" and "You know what will help Asians earn respect? An Asian version of Adolf Hitler… I want that person to be me; I want to save the world from this Zionist disease!". In June 2016, Tila Tequila accused

Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced ''The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...

and the Jews of killing Jesus before saying the comedian was next on a "celebrity sacrifice" list. On November 19, 2016, she attended an

alt-right The alt-right, an abbreviation of alternative right, is a far-right, white nationalist movement. A largely online phenomenon, the alt-right originated in the United States during the late 2000s before increasing in popularity during the mid-2 ...

National Policy Institute The National Policy Institute (NPI) is a white supremacist think tank and lobbying group which is based in Alexandria, Virginia. It lobbies for white supremacists and the alt-right. Its president is Richard B. Spencer. It has been largely ina ...

meeting celebrating the

election of Donald Trump The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...

, organized by white supremacist

Richard B. Spencer Richard Bertrand Spencer (born May 1978) is an American neo-Nazi, antisemitic conspiracy theorist, and white supremacist. A former editor, he is a public speaker and activist on behalf of the alt-right movement. He advocates for the r ...

, and posted photos on social media of herself doing a

Nazi salute The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute (german: link=no, Hitlergruß, , Hitler greeting, ; also called by the Nazi Party , 'German greeting', ), or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. Th ...

. One was posted to

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

with the text "Seig heil!" icand a raised hand. On November 22, 2016, her account was suspended by Twitter. Consequently, she joined Gab.

Personal life

On March 7, 2012, it was reported that Tequila had agreed to check into rehab after having reportedly "almost died" from an attempted suicide by overdosing on pills. The incident caused her to be hospitalized from a

brain aneurysm An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a brain aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel. Aneurysms in the posterior circul ...

. Tequila completed her rehab treatment on April 5, 2012. Tequila has expressed her belief that the earth is not a sphere but is flat. In 2018, she began using another stage name, Tornado Thien.

Sexuality

By the end of 2007, Tequila was linked to the winner of her dating show ''

'', Bobby Banhart. In January 2008, she revealed that she and Banhart had ended their relationship. Shortly afterwards, Banhart posted a message on his Myspace stating he had never dated Tequila and that she "never called him after the last show and no one would give him her number." Tequila later came out as a lesbian rather than a bisexual and stated that she wanted to pick the show's runner-up

Dani Campbell Dani Campbell is an American reality show personality who became notable in the lesbian community as a symbol of self-assurance, causing ''Curve'' to call her "the first lesbian girl next door", and the ''Miami Herald'' to declare her South Flori ...

but the producers made her pick Banhart. In March 2018, Tequila uploaded a video to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

, saying that she was neither lesbian nor bisexual and that she only pretended to be in order to create ratings for ''A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila'' and had a boyfriend while filming the show. Additionally, she associated homosexuality with

the Devil Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. ...

and referred to former contestants of the show as "degenerate" and "disgusting".

Relationships and children

On December 9, 2009, Tequila stated she was engaged to heiress Casey Johnson, daughter of businessman

Woody Johnson Robert Wood Johnson IV (born April 12, 1947) is an American businessman who was United States ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021. He is a great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, and a billionaire heir to the Johnson & Johnson p ...

, and was photographed with a diamond ring. Johnson died on January 4, 2010, of complications resulting from diabetes. Tequila began dating musician Thomas Paxton Whitaker (born 1971) in 2013, which ended due to Whitaker's financial problems. On April 18, 2014, Tequila confirmed her pregnancy on her Facebook page. Tequila gave birth to her first daughter on November 16, 2014. In September 2018, Tequila gave birth to her second child, also a daughter.

Legal issues

On September 6, 2009, Tequila was allegedly choked and restrained by former boyfriend

Shawne Merriman Shawne DeAndre Merriman (born May 25, 1984), nicknamed "Lights Out", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and was sel ...

, who was later arrested. San Diego

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

Bonnie Dumanis Bonnie Michelle Dumanis (born December 16, 1951) was the District Attorney of San Diego County, California. She held the office 2003 to 2017. Dumanis is a Republican, though the office she held was officially nonpartisan. She was the first openl ...

decided not to charge Merriman after her office spent three days reviewing reports from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. and
On November 17, 2009, Tequila sued Merriman for $1.5 million. Several weeks later, Merriman countersued, alleging intentional interference with contract, unfair competition, and

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...

infringement.NFL Star Sues Tila Tequila – She Lied to Ruin Me!
December 10, 2009, TMZ.com She declined to respond to his more recent actions and a default judgment was entered in his favor for $2 million. However, the default judgment was later set aside in January 2010.Order Setting Aside Default, ''Lights Out Holdings, LLC v. Nguyen'', No. 09-CV-2742 H (CAB) (S.D. Cal. January 27, 2010). In February 2010, both sides jointly moved the court to dismiss the claim, and the court dismissed the case on the same day.

Discography

Filmography

Film

Television

Bibliography

* ''Hooking Up with Tila Tequila: A Guide to Love, Fame, Happiness, Success, and Being the Life of the Party'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

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AVN Awards The AVN Awards are film awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine '' AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') to recognize achievement in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic fi ...

, Best Celebrity Sex Tape , Tila Tequila 2: Backdoored & Squirting , Tequila Wins AVN Award For Best Celebrity Sex Tape Over Farrah Abraham And Mimi Faust
/ref> , - ! scope="row" , 2008 , Bravo's A-List Award , A-List Drama Queen , , , - ! scope="row" , 2008 ,

Guys Choice The Guys Choice (formerly known as Spike Guys Choice Awards) is an awards show produced by the Viacom cable channel Spike from 2007 to 2016. The winners were originally chosen based on voting by fans and viewers of the channel until 2015, when the ...

, So Hot They're Famous , , {{Cite AV media, url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/spike-tv-announces-2008-guys-choice-winners-1001215988, title=Spike TV Announces 2008 'Guys Choice' Winners, people=Tila Tequila, publisher=Press Release, date=May 30, 2008, access-date=May 31, 2008, time=11:39 , - ! scope="row" , 2012 ,

29th AVN Awards The 29th AVN Awards ceremony, presented by ''Adult Video News'', honored the best pornographic movies and adult entertainment products of 2011 of the United States and took place January 21, 2012, at a new venue, The Joint inside the Hard Rock ...

, Best Celebrity Sex Tape , Tila Tequila Uncorked , {{nom

References

{{Reflist

External links

* {{Commons category-inline * {{Wikiquote-inline * {{IMDb name, 1712094, Tila Tequila * {{Youtube, user=MissTilaTequila, title=Tila Tequila {{Tila Tequila, state=expanded {{Alt-right footer {{Neo-Nazism {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Tequila, Tila 1981 births Living people 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American businesswomen 21st-century American memoirists 21st-century American women singers Alt-right American conspiracy theorists American fashion designers American female adult models American female YouTubers American hip hop singers American music industry executives American music managers American neo-Nazis American pop rock singers American talent agents American women bloggers American women fashion designers American women in electronic music American women memoirists American women singer-songwriters Antisemitism in the United States Big Brother (British TV series) contestants Discrimination against LGBT people in the United States Flat Earth proponents Participants in American reality television series Singaporean emigrants to the United States Singaporean people of Vietnamese descent