About
Olivia Frances Culpo, born May 8, 1992, in Cranston, Rhode Island, first captured the world’s attention in 2012 when she pulled off a historic triple-crown in pageantry—Miss Rhode Island USA, Miss USA, and ultimately Miss Universe. Since then, she has evolved into a full-time model, style entrepreneur, and television personality with a social-media footprint that tops five million followers across platforms. Brands such as L’Oréal, Revolve, and Swarovski have tapped her for campaigns, while magazines from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit to Vogue have splashed her image across their pages. Most recently, Culpo exchanged vows with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey in a classic New England ceremony at Watch Hill’s Ocean House resort on June 29, 2024, signaling a new chapter that now includes a baby on the way.
Before Fame
Rhode Island’s smallest-state origins play a huge role in Culpo’s story. The middle child in a family of five, she grew up in a musically driven household—both parents are former musicians who filled the home with rehearsals and instruments. Olivia gravitated toward the cello in second grade, practicing so intently that she eventually earned seats with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Bay View Orchestra, and even performed at Boston’s Symphony Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall during a 2010 England tour. After graduating from St. Mary Academy–Bay View, she attended Boston University, balancing studies with orchestra gigs before taking a leap into the pageant world. That decision—initially prompted by a campus flyer—catapulted her from local music halls to an international stage within a single whirlwind year.
Trivia
- Hidden talent: Years of cello practice blessed Culpo with dexterous fingers—and, as she once joked, the quirky knack for tying a cherry stem into a knot with her tongue in under 10 seconds.
- Reality-TV resume: Alongside sisters Aurora and Sophia, she stars in TLC’s The Culpo Sisters, which gives viewers a playful, sometimes raw peek into sibling dynamics, career hustle, and love lives.
- Philanthropy: Culpo regularly partners with organizations focused on hunger relief and women’s health; her platform as Miss Universe included advocacy for ovarian-cancer awareness on Capitol Hill.
- Pop-culture cameo: She appears in several films—I Feel Pretty (2018) with Amy Schumer and the action thriller Reprisal (2018) alongside Bruce Willis—proving she’s comfortable in front of both still and motion cameras.
- Entrepreneurial moves: Beyond modeling contracts, Culpo has invested in a family-run Rhode Island restaurant and launched a capsule fashion collection, demonstrating that her business savvy stretches well past a runway.
Family Life
Olivia is the daughter of Susan and Peter Culpo, restaurateurs and avid musicians who still call Rhode Island home. She often credits her parents for teaching discipline (think nightly cello practice) and humility (she waited tables in the family business long before strutting a catwalk). Olivia’s four siblings keep the family group chat lively:
- Pete, the eldest, plays bass in local bands;
- Aurora, a podcast host and mom of two;
- Gus, a multi-sport athlete and grad student;
- Sophia, a lifestyle influencer with her own wellness following.
Life events quickly became headline news when NFL star Christian McCaffrey slid into Olivia’s DMs in 2019—courtesy of a mutual friend’s introduction. The couple got engaged on a Utah desert vacation in April 2023 and wed the following summer in Rhode Island surrounded by family, friends, and an ocean of hydrangeas. They announced a first pregnancy in early 2025, throwing a Parisian-themed baby shower that doubled as a subtle reconciliation between the Culpo sisters after a brief spat about attendance.
Associated With
- Christian McCaffrey – Husband, Pro Bowl running back, and Olivia’s biggest cheerleader on red carpets and reality-show confessionals alike. Their partnership melds two high-performance worlds—fashion and football—and often raises awareness for causes such as childhood cancer (a longtime McCaffrey family mission).
- Nick Jonas – Olivia’s most-publicized past relationship (2013–2015) inspired Jonas’s hit song “Jealous.” The breakup proved formative; she has said it forced her to rebuild confidence and finances from scratch.
- Danny Amendola & Tim Tebow – Brief links to these NFL names kept her in sports headlines even before McCaffrey; however, she credits those chapters for teaching boundaries in the public eye.
- Pageant sisterhood – As the eighth American–and first Rhode Islander–to win Miss Universe, Culpo shares a bond with fellow titleholders like Pia Wurtzbach and Demi-Leigh Tebow, often swapping hosting gigs and charity appearances.