Melissa Satta was born on February 7, 1986, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her Italian parents were in the U.S. for business purposes because her dad, Enzo Satta, was working as an architect. As such, Melissa spent a lot of her early years on planes, flying back and forth between the U.S. and Sardinia.
Even with all the traveling, Melissa kept busy by being active. Her main pastimes were sports-related, as she played soccer and also studied karate, which peaked when she was a junior karate champion and finished third in the Italian championships. Melissa realized at a certain point that she wanted to model, so at 16, she thought she'd test it out in Sardinia.
In her early days of modeling, Melissa Satta joined the Venus Goddess agency to help realize her dream. This connection led to a spot in Miss Muretto, a popular Italian beauty pageant. In 2003, Melissa almost won, coming in second. Even though she didn't win the title, she still was awarded Miss Extreme and decided to make Milan her full-time home.
Even though modeling appeared to hold healthy prospects for Melissa, she didn't want to abandon her education simultaneously. After graduating from high school in 2004, Melissa studied public relations at IULM. Even as things were on the rise, Melissa was determined to make sure that she wouldn't track of her educational goals.
As Melissa Satta's career evolved, many new opportunities came along with it. At only 19, she earned a contract with the Riccardo Gay agency, known for its premier handling of Italian models. She also took the spot of Adrianna Lima for a TIM advertisement gig. In subsequent years, she would get more advertising jobs for companies like Sweet Years and Following.
Melissa Satta also entered the world of television. Her first chance was as a ballerina on Mio fratello e pakistano ("My Brother is Pakistan"). Later in 2005, she took the job that she felt changed her life, a spot as a showgirl for the racy series Striascia la notzia ("Strip the News"). Even though she was just a desk dancer, Melissa was immediately unforgettable to Italian TV viewers, and she and her desk partner, Thais Wiggers, were quickly renewed for additional seasons.
Since Melissa Satta's Strip the News gig, her professional stock has continued to rise, while her personal life has started to shine. Professionally, she landed a role in four episodes of the crime series Il guidice mastrangelo in 2006, and a film gig with Gerard Depardieu called Bastardi. She's also made a minor splash in the U.S. by appearing in a Palermo segment for MTV's Total Request Live on Tour. Finally, she appeared in the 2006 parade for Milan's Spring/Summer 2007 Pin-Up Stars fashion show.
In terms of her personal life, Melissa Satta has also been thrust into the spotlight because of her high-profile with one of the country's elite soccer stars, Christian Vieri. While it's a very public relationship, due to their joint fame, Melissa and Christian appear all smiles and ready to make it last. The same can be said for Melissa's blossoming career.
