Leanza Cornett
Quick Facts
Biography
Eva Leanza Cornett (June 10, 1971 – October 28, 2020) was an American television personality and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Florida 1992 and Miss America 1993.
Early life
Cornett was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and was a 1989 graduate of Terry Parker High School. She was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2006.
Pageantry
She was previously National Sweetheart 1991.
As Miss America 1993, she became the first beauty queen to adopt AIDS awareness and prevention as her platform for her year of service. She became one of the first Miss America titleholders to refuse to wear the Miss America crown at public appearances.
Career
She was the first actress to play a live-action version of Ariel, the title character from The Little Mermaid, at the "Voyage of The Little Mermaid" show at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in 1991 and was a member of the contemporary Christian music group Area Code, which released their single album, One Big World, before Leanza’s big break.
She also served as a host for several television shows, includingEntertainment Tonight (1994–1995), New Attitudes (1998), and Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? (2000), and made television guest appearances in television series such as Melrose Place, The Tick, and Fear Factor. In addition, she served as a reporter for Animal Planet's coverage of the Eukanuba AKC National Dog Show programs and hosted the "On The Block" show on DIY Network.
Her stage credits included: Barefoot in the Park, Godspell, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Bye Bye Birdie, and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
Personal life
Cornett married broadcast journalist, Mark Steines, on July 22, 1995. Weeks after their wedding, Cornett was let go from her Entertainment Tonight position, only to be immediately replaced by Steines himself. Cornett and Steines had two sons, Kai Harper (born on February 19, 2002), and Avery James (born on November 4, 2003). The couple later divorced after 17 years of marriage. She died on October 28, 2020 after being hospitalized for a head injury.
