Laura Giaritta is a businesswoman and the former wife of American rapper Vanilla Ice. The former flames married in 1997 but unfortunately, after over 20 years of marriage, the duo called it quits.
Though Giaritta was primarily famous for her marital relationship with the successful rapper, the former celebrity spouse has now earned her own identity as a businesswoman. She is now successfully running a sporting goods store, 2 The Xtreme.
Besides, Laura is also a mother of two daughters.
Who is Meet Vanilla Ice’s Ex-Wife Laura Giaritta?
As mentioned, Laura is a businesswoman. Her career in the business world did not start as it usually does for most of us. As per the reports, Giaritta started it by assisting her then-boyfriend Vanilla at his sports goods store in Miami Beach, 2 The Xtreme.
Since they eventually fell in love, the sports store became a mutual business. However, Laura acquired it completely in a divorce settlement after her split with her then-husband Ice.
As of 2023, the former celebrity wife has been successfully running the business along with several other side investments.
Laura Met Her Future Husband Vanilla Ice in 1994
The two first met at a party back on July 4th, 1994. At the time, Ice was still a newcomer and was struggling hard to brand his image in the industry.
At the time of their first meeting, Ice was going through a hard time and was pretty into drugs. But, his life turned in good shape as soon as the artist met his future wife Laura.
Laura and Vanilla Ice Get Married in 1997
As we did already mention, Laura Giaritta led a successful 20 years marital relationship with Vanilla Ice, aka Robert Matthew Van Winkle. They tied the knot on March 30, 1997, at Star Island mansion in Miami Beach.
Their wedding ceremony was held two days after they received their marriage license.
Well, their wedding was not an instantaneous decision. Laura and Ice rather dated for years before they actually tied the knot.
The two soon began a family together, welcoming their first child, a daughter named Dusti in 1998. Afterward, Giaritta became a full-time mom, handling all the house choirs, while Vanilla began making waves in the music industry.
Laura and Vanilla’s Marriage Was Not Very Sound
Though Laura had a decent start in her marital relationship, things did not go smoothly for a very long time. The two had several conflicts in their relationship soon after their wedding.
In January 2001, Ice was accused and later arrested for assaulting his wife. According to the police records, the artist, in a heated altercation with Laura, pulled her hair as they were driving their car on Interstate 595.
While Vanilla stated that he was just trying to prevent Laura from jumping out of the truck’s window, he was eventually proven guilty of disorderly conduct and sentenced to probation.
Later again on April 10, 2008, he was again arrested for similar charges when he allegedly kicked his wife. He was released the following day after an eyewitness clarified that they merely had an argument and that Ice had only pushed her. The charges were dropped on April 29, 2008.
They Started Living in Separate Homes In 2011
After things became more heated between the two, they started living in separate homes. While Ice left his Wellington, Florida house to make his move into his new mansion, his wife remained in their Florida mansion with their children.
But the fact is the former flames continued to make a joint appearance for the next several years including their family vacation to Curacao in June 2015.
They Filed For Divorce In 2016
With all the misunderstandings and conflicts in their relationship, Laura filed for divorce from her husband in 2016, in Palm Beach County, Florida. In her divorce documents, Laura stated that her marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
While they lived separately, their divorce was finalized only recently in November 2019. Well, she even took to her Twitter to announce her divorce.
It’s official #Divorced pic.twitter.com/4Zlwyxcwen
— Laura VanWinkle (@JUSTFINFAB) November 13, 2019
As a fact, the former couple didn’t have to undergo child custody issues as both their kids are grownups.
Laura Giaritta Has Two Daughters
50 years old Laura is the mother of two children, both daughters, with her former husband. Their first daughter Dusti Rain Van Winkle was born in 1998, their second kid KeeLee Breeze Van Winkle was born in 2000.
Talking about Dusti’s education, she is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. There’s not much detail on KeeLee’s academics.
Well, both her daughters share a great relationship with her and are pretty popular as celebrity kids. Dusti lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, whereas KeeLee lives in Wellington, Florida. They both are in a romantic relationship.
Laura Giaritta Early Life & Family Background
Laura Giaritta, aka Laura Van Winkle, was born on October 18, 1970, in the United States, and she is 50 years of age as of 2022. A white American, Giaritta’s birth sign is Taurus.
She grew up in a Christian household to a father Thomas Giaritta and her mother Elaine Giaritta. While she has not revealed much about her father, she shares a great relationship with her mother and also shares photos with her on social media.
Besides, Laura also has an older sibling, a sister named Renee. Needless to say, the siblings share a great bond.
How Much Is Giaritta’s Net Worth?
As a businesswoman, Laura definitely earns a decent amount and her net worth is also worth in million. Also, she receives decent money in alimony from her divorce settlement with her ex-husband.
As per the reports, she gets around $10,500 as monthly alimony. Further, she also received around $110,000 as compensation for all that Ice failed to pay during the proceedings. Moreover, she received $200,000 for all the legal expenses.
