Tila Nguyen (born October 24, 1981), better known by her stage name Tila Tequila, is a Singapore-born singer, model, and television personality. She is known for her appearances in the men's magazines Stuff, Maxim, Penthouse, her role as host of the Fuse TV show featuring performance striptease, Pants-Off Dance-Off and her position as the most popular artist on MySpace (according to page views) circa April 2006. She was raised in Houston, Texas and now lives in West Hollywood, California. Her MTV reality show A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila aired for two seasons.
Early life and education:Nguyen was born in Singapore to French Vietnamese parents, where her family emigrated from Vietnam after the Vietnam War. She is the youngest of three children: she has one brother, Daniel (b. 1976), and a sister, Terri (b. 1979). When she was one year old, she and her family lived in a neighborhood in Houston until they were admitted to a gated community run by a strict Buddhist temple. The family left the community when Nguyen was eight.
While in middle school, Nguyen became a tomboy and was eventually sent to a boarding school for six months for her combative behavior before transferring to another school. While in high school, she used her sister's identification card to enter nightclubs, where she began taking drugs and joined a gang. In her memoir, she would later explain that she felt "confused" and "lost" from various personal family and environmental issues and remained a virgin until she reached 15 years of age, when she also began smoking and engaging in drug abuse. She received her first of a series of tattoos, a scorpion on her back, during this time. She also states that she recalled "punching walls until I passed out", and soon turned to writing poems in an attempt to release powerful emotions. In an interview with Import Tuner, Nguyen said she had been searching for a sense of identity: "I was really confused then, [because] at first I thought I was black, then I thought I was Hispanic and joined a cholo gang". Later, friends outside the gang briefly helped turn her life around. However, her past caught up with her, and she fled to Queens, New York at the age of 16. While still 16, she experienced a drive-by shooting in Houston. The following year, she became pregnant and suffered a miscarriage.
Tequila graduated from Alief Hastings High School in 2000. She has cited the violent adolescence she had 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." Personal life:
Although not known to be politically active, in September 2004, Tequila said "Yeah, I admit I was never one to really get all political and go to rallies and vote. But you know what? If you really think about what the fuck is going on, I really think you all should vote. I will not say who I'm voting for but I most definitely will say that I fucken hate George W. Bush even though he's from Texas and so am I. What a shame!".
Throughout 2008, Tequila confirmed that she had maintained friendships with Courtenay Semel, Billy Corgan, and Meghan McCain.
On September 6, 2009, Tequila was allegedly choked and restrained by former boyfriend Shawne Merriman, who was later arrested. She was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the incident, though Tequila denies these claims, citing an allergy to alcohol, though her allergy has been disputed. San Diego district attorney Bonnie Dumanis decided not to charge Merriman after her office spent three days reviewing reports from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. On November 17, 2009, Tequila filed a lawsuit against Merriman for $1.5 million. Several weeks later, Merriman filed a civil suit against Tequila, alleging intentional interference with contract, unfair competition, and trademark infringement. He claimed that Tequila improperly used his own "Lights Out" logo and disrupted negotiations for t-shirts to be marketed by Wal-Mart. She declined to respond to his more recent actions, and a default judgment was entered in his favor for $2 million.
On December 9, 2009, Tequila stated she was engaged to heiress Casey Johnson and was photographed with a diamond ring. On January 4, 2010, Johnson, who had long suffered from diabetes, was found dead. On February 4, 2010, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office announced that "Casey Johnson died from complications related to her diabetes. The Johnson & Johnson heiress died of diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition caused by a lack of insulin and high blood sugar, chief coroner Ed Winter said. 'She wasn't taking her insulin. She wasn't taking good care of herself,' he said. The cause of death has been ruled natural, and a full autopsy report will be completed in two weeks, Winter said." Tequila has arranged plans to seek legal custody of Casey Johnson's adopted daughter, Ava.
On December 20, 2009, Tequila announced she was currently having a surrogate pregnancy for her brother.
Although not known to be politically active, in September 2004, Tequila said "Yeah, I admit I was never one to really get all political and go to rallies and vote. But you know what? If you really think about what the fuck is going on, I really think you all should vote. I will not say who I'm voting for but I most definitely will say that I fucken hate George W. Bush even though he's from Texas and so am I. What a shame!".
Throughout 2008, Tequila confirmed that she had maintained friendships with Courtenay Semel, Billy Corgan, and Meghan McCain.
On September 6, 2009, Tequila was allegedly choked and restrained by former boyfriend Shawne Merriman, who was later arrested. She was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the incident, though Tequila denies these claims, citing an allergy to alcohol, though her allergy has been disputed. San Diego district attorney Bonnie Dumanis decided not to charge Merriman after her office spent three days reviewing reports from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. On November 17, 2009, Tequila filed a lawsuit against Merriman for $1.5 million. Several weeks later, Merriman filed a civil suit against Tequila, alleging intentional interference with contract, unfair competition, and trademark infringement. He claimed that Tequila improperly used his own "Lights Out" logo and disrupted negotiations for t-shirts to be marketed by Wal-Mart. She declined to respond to his more recent actions, and a default judgment was entered in his favor for $2 million.On December 9, 2009, Tequila stated she was engaged to heiress Casey Johnson and was photographed with a diamond ring. On January 4, 2010, Johnson, who had long suffered from diabetes, was found dead. On February 4, 2010, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office announced that "Casey Johnson died from complications related to her diabetes. The Johnson & Johnson heiress died of diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition caused by a lack of insulin and high blood sugar, chief coroner Ed Winter said. 'She wasn't taking her insulin. She wasn't taking good care of herself,' he said. The cause of death has been ruled natural, and a full autopsy report will be completed in two weeks, Winter said." Tequila has arranged plans to seek legal custody of Casey Johnson's adopted daughter, Ava.
On December 20, 2009, Tequila announced she was currently having a surrogate pregnancy for her brother.
