Born in St. Maur, France on December 22, 1972, Vanessa enjoyed singing from an early age. Her career began to develop after she was discovered on a popular TV show entitled L'Ecole Des Fans; a French TV program that provides little children with the opportunity to demonstrate their talents.

Years later, when Vanessa turned thirteen, she recorded her first single called La Magie Des Surprises-Parties (the magic of surprise parties). Her career really skyrocketed when her record-producing uncle, Didier Pain, was working with a singer on a song entitled Joe le Taxi in which Vanessa was invited to sing. The outcome was instant success.

In 1988, her very first album was M & J, and she later released Variations Sur Le Même T'aime. Her second album, the self-titled Joe was produced by her then boyfriend Lenny Kravitzin 1992.

Before making her move into the fashion world in 1994, Vanessa performed on stage one last time. She confirmed her position as a model by appearing in magazine ads for Coco Chanel. Have you ever seen the commercial featuring the woman mimicking a bird inside a golden cage? Well, that was beautiful Vanessa.

Her passageway onto the silver screen became an instant success when she played in Noce Blanche. For her exquisite performance in the movie, Vanessa took home the Caesar award (the French equivalent of an Oscar). At this point, Vanessa realized that she preferred acting over singing. She later went on to star in Elisa and Un Amour de Sorciere.

Vanessa also acquired a role in Une Chance Sur Deux. Unfortunately, on January 17th 1998, she was involved in a snowmobile accident up in Canada where she broke her leg in four places. She was quickly operated on in Paris on January 20th, 1998. To her dismay, the accident prevented her from starring in the upcoming movie.

Vanessa owns a home in Manhattan, where she enjoys the relative tranquility and anonymity of the U.S. -- a perk enjoyed by many foreign celebrities. Her great dream of having a child came to life on May 27th 1999, when she and Johnny Deppwelcomed Lily Rose into their lives.