Gia Allemand

Gia Marie Allemand (December 20, 1983 – August 14, 2013) was an American actress, model, and reality television contestant. She was known for appearing in Maxim and competing on two ABC reality shows, The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love and Bachelor Pad.

Career

Modeling and acting

Gia Marie Allemand was born to Eugene and Donna Allemand in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York City, and grew up in the borough of Staten Island and nearby in suburban Long Island, where she graduated from Lindenhurst High School in 2001. Allemand's parents separated in 1992, later divorcing; Donna Allemand married Tony Micheletti, whom she described as closer to Gia than her biological father.

Gia began modeling early, and as a baby she appeared in Johnson & Johnson ads and as a Gerber Baby. As a teenager, Allemand initially never thought about a career in modeling. However, at 19 she began modeling after she was asked to enter a swimsuit competition she says she won. Allemand finished second in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic competition and the Miss Red Hot Taj Mahal Super Bowl contest in 2005. She is best known for appearing as a swimsuit model in Maxim in 2007. In 2008, she was named Miss Bikini-USA's Model of the Year. The following year Allemand placed first in the bikini short class of the NPC Arnold Amateur Championships. In addition to modeling, Allemand worked for the modeling and creative-fields consultancy Dream It Make It.