Joanna Krupa is the kind of celebrity that many people really don’t know much about, yet she always manages to make headlines in one way or another. Even though there have been plenty of Real Housewives stars who have come and gone, Joanna is one that you can’t miss. And that’s not just because she’s so beautiful, but because she’s determined and business savvy enough to know how to how to extend her 15 minutes of fame to at least a decade or more.

After all, Joanna Krupa isn’t just another pretty face on reality television. She’s a force to be reckoned with, as she’s involved with many different charities, is a huge advocate and supporter of animal rights and has a few good moves on the dance floor, too. If that weren’t enough, she also has an extensive modeling portfolio. In other words, she’s got everything it takes to be a celebrity in this very cutthroat world of entertainment. As many people know (and have experienced themselves), one moment you are in and the next moment you are out. Joanna has proved that she is someone who is here to stay. With that being said, here are 20 things everyone should know about Joanna Krupa.

She Emigrated To The U.S. As A Small Child

Joanna Krupa really is an American success story. She emigrated to the United States when she was just 5 years old with her parents and her younger sister, Marta. She grew up in a very middle-class family on the outskirts of Chicago, but always knew that she wanted to be a star. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the best experience growing up in schools in Chicago. Joanna was teased at school. She once said, “I was bullied in school, but thankfully, I was surrounded by amazing family that love me and kept my head high and didn't allow me to fall into depression because of it.”

She Has Always Wanted To Be A Model

Joanna knew from the get go that she always wanted to be a model. As a matter of fact, right after she graduated from high school in her native Chicago, she did what many other aspiring stars and celebrities do, and that’s go straight to the City of Angels. What fans love the most about her is that she’s beautiful – both inside and out. According to Brainy Quotes, she once said, “I think that's the most beautiful thing about being confident – just loving yourself, not caring what everybody else thinks. Because you could be Mother Theresa, and people are still going to try to find some imperfection.”

Her First Stop Was Los Angeles

As we mentioned above, Joanna Krupa’s first taste of success was during her early days in Los Angeles. There, she started working on her modeling portfolio and soon became one of the most sought-after models in print media. And while she did do some runways for bikini designers, most of her success came from her magazine spreads. What makes Joanna Krupa stand out from other models is that she didn’t use anyone’s help in her career. She once said in an interview, “Everybody needs to find their own path and the best way for themselves to connect to this world.”

She Was On Dancing With The Stars

It might feel like just yesterday for Joanna Krupa, but it’s actually been almost ten years since her stint on Dancing with the Stars. That’s right: the blonde beauty managed to cha-cha her way into the hearts of her new fans. And boy did she blow the competition away. Joanna placed fourth during her season which isn't the worst, but according to the very competitive dancer, she was gutted. She was hoping to make it to the top and of course, bring home the coveted Mirror Ball. Better luck next time, Joanna.

She Was A PETA Model

This might have only seemed like yesterday too, but Joanna’s claim to fame was all of the modeling work she did for PETA. After all, Joanna has proven that she has a huge heart, especially when it comes to her furry friends. Speaking about how she likes to keep things real and authentic in her life, Joanna has said, “I don’t try to pretend like I’m somebody that I’m not, you know? What upsets me are people who try to pretend like they are so perfect, I’m not going to name names but it’s really annoying. Just don’t pretend that you are somebody you’re not!”

She Has Starred In Some Ad Campaigns

As you can guess, Joanna starred in several high-profile campaigns for PETA. After all, the organization is known for their very strong messages. And seeing how Joanna is a strong-willed, opinionated and passionate woman herself, it just seemed like a perfect fit for her. In fact, there isn’t a week that doesn’t go by that the blonde beauty isn’t in an animal shelter. She always finds time to be with dogs in need. Joanna has said, “I am a voice for innocent animals who are being neglected and dumped by the millions at shelters.The voiceless and most defenseless ones are the animals, so most of my attention goes to them.”

She Was Miss Howard TV

Joanna started off doing television work, but not the kind of television work that you would expect. Before her stint on Dancing with the Stars and the Real Housewives of Miami, she was Miss Howard TV. With that being said, there isn’t a moment that Joanna isn’t moving in one way or another. “I don’t get lazy even when tired after work or on a vacation,” she explained to Page Six back in 2017. “I find time to be active. It’s called being ambitious and dedicated. It’s a choice. For those that don’t follow that please don’t judge those that choose to be fit.”

She Is A Huge Advocate For Animal Rights

Sure, Joanna might be best known for all of her modeling work and for being one of the stars of the Real Housewives of Miami. But at the end of the day, none of that really matters for the blonde beauty. As a matter of fact, she could easily spend the rest of her life devoting her time and energy in supporting animal rights. She once said, “I started Angels for Animal Rescue and I would love to be the Angelina Jolie for animals.”

She Was A Top Model Judge

Little do people know, but Joanna Krupa was once the Tyra Banks of Poland. That’s right: the model was the host of the Polish version of Top Model, which just happened to be one of the highest rated shows in the country during its first few seasons. Joanna helped fulfil dreams by picking out the freshest face and the best talent to be Poland’s Next Top Model. Speaking about her early years as a model, she told Ask Men, “Well I’ve wanted to do modeling since I was a little girl. I went to modeling school and it wasn’t until I met my first manager that I started getting international magazines. We got tons of covers and then I got an agent and everything all kind of came together.”

She Splits Her Time In Two Countries

Because Joanna Krupa has such a high profile in her native Poland, she often splits her time between her home in Warsaw and her home in the States. In fact, Joanna loves spending so much time in Poland that she recently tied the knot to her new husband, Douglas Nunes, in the beautiful city of Krakow in Poland. It was a small event with just her closest family and friends, but it was a moment in her life that she will remember always. Joanna Krupa once said, “I was in Poland doing a TV interview, and the production of Poland’s Next Top Model was also doing an audition, so they asked me to come and meet the producers and do an audition for the host and judge. I got the gig and now we are doing our 6th season and it’s one of the top rated shows in the country.”

She Spent A Lot Of Time In Miami

In addition to her homes in Warsaw and Los Angeles, Joanna also spends a lot of time in the Sunshine State, too. After all, she was once a star of Real Housewives of Miami. She spent a lot of time in Miami while she was still married to her ex-husband, Romain Zago, who is a nightclub owner in South Beach. Speaking about her life in South Florida, she once said (while she was still married to Romain): “What are your favorite places to visit in Miami? Mynt lounge, which is the hottest nightclub in Miami that is owned by my husband. My favorite place to eat is Niaraya and Bal Harbour shops.”

She Still Calls L.A. Home

But no matter what, Los Angeles will always be home for Joanna, or at least her home base. It’s where her heart is, and where her investments are! “My ex-husband and I did the LA-Miami thing but I feel like it’s definitely healthier if two people are in one city,” she added to Us. “The bicoastal relationship was really tough and I think that really had a lot to do with why we’re not together right now. Traveling from L.A. to Miami and then also traveling out of the country. It would be nice to meet somebody local and just settle here.”

This is Why She Became A Real Housewife

Joanna Krupa never really sought to become a Real Housewife or a reality television star. But when the opportunity knocks on your door, you take it, right? The moment it was announced that Joanna would join the Miami season, her profile soared. Speaking about how much of the show was staged, she said in an interview, “A lot of times if we’re going through something in our life we will usually wait until we know we are filming to talk about it. It’s just easier and more therapeutic for me to wait until we are filming.”

She’s Fluent In Two Languages

Because she spends so much time in Poland, Joanna has remained fluent in her native language. Keep in mind, she left her home country when she was just 5 years old and didn’t use the language again until she returned to film Poland’s Next Top Model. Joanna is very proud of her background, her culture, and of course, her family. She once said, “My mother has been the biggest influence in my life. She taught me how to be independent, how to make strong family connections and how to set goals to become a strong woman. She came to America with only $200 dollars in her pocket to give us a good life. I love being with her. She’s my best friend and has gone through so much to provide for the family.”

She Tried To Become A Movie Star

Just like so many television stars, Joanna tried to transition to the big screen. And she did – but not to the best critical ratings, unfortunately. Her last movie was You Can’t Have It. Joanna played a bartender. Joanna blamed the film’s poor promotions on her co-star, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Apparently, he didn’t do his part in promoting the film. “He was probably the only person we had to do retake and retake [for],” she told TMZ in an interview back in 2017.

She Starred In Videos With Snoop Dogg

Here’s something from the archives that Joanna probably doesn’t want her fans to know about – or even remember, for that matter. She had actually starred in a video with none other than Snoop Dogg. That’s right – she was in one of the rapper’s videos. Speaking about her early days, Joanna has said, “I started modeling when I was 17. My sister always knew that she wanted to be a model since she was 13 and I was still trying to figure it out. I used to play sports and was a huge tomboy growing up, but when I was getting older and was developing more into a woman I realized I should give modeling a shot.”

She’s Very Close To Her Sister

If there is one person that she can count on in her life, it’s her sister, Marta Krupa. Marta is also a former model and one of Joanna’s biggest fans. Marta is married to race car driver Marco Andretti. She told Naluda in an interview, “Our relationship is great, we don’t get to see each other as often since she moved out of LA to be with her husband Marco. I definitely miss those days of having her around but i knew the day would come where she would want to be on her own. I’m happy for her and want the best for her and I am glad she found Marco.

She’s A Former Poker Player

Oh, so you thought that Joanna Krupa was just another pretty face, now did you? Well, you’ll have to think again because there’s more to Joanna than meets the eye! She is actually a very talented poker player that has managed to wow some of the very best in Las Vegas. For Joanna, playing poker has been a way for her to de-stress. She has said, “There is definitely no formula for it, for me I love it, for me it’s pure joy, being busy makes me feel alive, and I try to be happy and positive with the people I love. When I am not busy working it drives me crazy as I always need to be doing something and fill I am being useful.”

She’s Very Opinionated

When Joanna Krupa has something to say, you better believe that she is going to say it. She’s one of the most opinionated figures in the celebrity world – and that might be a reason why she often makes many headlines. With that being said, Joanna is one of very few models out there that likes to keep it real. No, she doesn’t wake up looking perfect every day. According to Brainy Quotes, she has said in the past, “People think we just wake up looking perfect, but it's all about the hair and the make-up, staying in shape, and eating healthily.”

She Wants To Start Her Own Family

And while Joanna Krupa has enjoyed the success she’s so far had in her career, if there is one thing that’s left for her to do, it’s to start her own family. For her, it’s the next natural step in her life. Thankfully, Joanna still has plenty of time on her hands. And now that she’s with the love of her life, anything can happen. She once said (according to People Magazine): “I would love to have twins – a girl and a boy – but who knows if that would happen. It would be my ideal situation. Wham, bam, be done with it.”