Lele Pons
Lele Pons | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
File:Lele Pons 2018.png | |||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born | Eleonora Pons Maronese June 25, 1996 | ||||||||||||
Occupations |
| ||||||||||||
YouTube information | |||||||||||||
Channel | |||||||||||||
Years active | 2013–present | ||||||||||||
Genre | Comedy | ||||||||||||
Subscribers | 11+ million[1] (August 19, 2018) | ||||||||||||
|
Eleonora "Lele" Pons Maronese (born June 25, 1996)[2] is a Venezuelan-American[3] internet personality, actress, singer, dancer and host of La Voz... México.[4] She came to prominence on Vine, where she was the most-followed and most-looped individual before the platform shut down in 2016. She has since branched out, creating comedy sketches for YouTube, where she now has over 11 million subscribers, and Instagram. She has acted in film, television, and in music videos, has released her own music, and co-authored a novel in 2016.
Early life
Pons was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She moved to the United States at the age of five, and was raised in Miami, Florida. She graduated from Miami Country Day School in 2015 and moved to Los Angeles, California. She has said that she had trouble making friends in high school, so she "would get hurt to make them laugh."[5] She has also said that she was bullied at high school. She said "I'm not like the cool girls—I'm the other girl. The one that's basically a nerd, but proud of that."[6]
Career
Pons began her career on the six-second video platform Vine. She has said she used Vine as a showcase for the creative things she already did. Speaking to Teen Vogue, Pons said "I started with my friends, and I started becoming bad. At first it was just being really creative - it wasn't even funny stuff." Her follower base continued to grow, and Pons has said that it "got to the point where a lot of people depended on me to make them... just so they could get a laugh." She became the first "Viner" to reach one billion loops.[6] Before the platform shut down in 2016, Pons had become the most-looped and most-followed Viner of all time.[5] In 2015, Pons was invited to the White House where she met First Lady Michelle Obama.[5]
Pons expanded beyond Vine and now makes comedy videos for Instagram and YouTube. She is noted for her "command of the coveted Gen Z audience", and often makes videos on themes relatable to teenagers.[5] She has said that she aims to branch out into TV and movie acting as she gets older.[6] Writing in The Cut, Allie Jones described Pons' comedy as "universal, physical, and complete with a twist ending."[5] Her comedic style has also been criticised, for instance by former Viner Cody Ko, who in February 2018 critically viewed one her sketches, saying "This was written by a four-year-old."[7] Pons cites, among her inspirations, several Latina stars. These include actresses Sofía Vergara and Gaby Espino, as well as singer Shakira. Pons has said that she is one of the few female YouTubers who oversees the entire production process for her videos.[5] In 2016, she was signed with entertainment company Shots Studios, and is managed by John Shahidi.[5][8]
Pons has used her success in internet comedy to launch a number of enterprises. In 2015, she launched a jewelry collection called UNO Magnetic.[6] In 2016, Pons co-authored a novel based on her own high school experiences, Surviving High School. Published by Simon & Schuster, the novel was co-authored with author Melissa de la Cruz.[9] Pons has also had a number of acting roles. She starred as Callie in the 2016 romantic comedy We Love You, released on YouTube Red. In the movie, characters played by Yousef Erakat and Justin Dobies both fall for Pons, who is "cool enough" to date both of them at the same time.[5][10] The movie was produced by YouTube and AwesomenessTV.
Pons appeared in the first episode of MTV's horror TV series, Scream, in which she was the season's first victim.[11] She has starred in a number of music videos, including for Havana by Camila Cabello, and Downtown by Anitta and J Balvin.[12] In May 2018, Pons released her debut single - a Spanish-language duet with Matt Hunter titled "Dicen". The YouTube music video amassed 10 million views in just four days.[13] Pons has also had success in modelling. In February 2017, she became a brand ambassador for CoverGirl.[14] The same month, Pons walked in a Dolce & Gabbana show in Milan. Babe criticised the move as seeming "a bit hackneyed and past-it."[15] In August, Pons released her first single and music video for her song "Celoso", which was directed by fellow YouTuber Rudy Mancuso.[16]
In May 2018, it was announced that Pons would take over hosting of La Voz... México, the Mexican singing competition show that is created by Televisa.[4] The new season will begin on October 14, 2018.[3]
Controversy
In September 2016, Pons had a public disagreement with fellow Vine star and "best friend" Amanda Cerny. Cerny accused Pons of covertly accessing her YouTube and Instagram accounts and deleting the most popular posts. Pons refused to address the accusation.[5] Pons then told her fanbase that Cerny had been deleting her material, and that was the reason for their fall-out. When Cerny attempted to clarify the situation with a post to Instagram, Cerny said that Pons called the police to her house to ask her to take down the post.[7] A number of other YouTubers and Viners have criticised Pons. In June 2017, Jessi Smiles accused her of being rude to her in person and obsessive over her follower count. December 2017 saw Tom Harlock criticise her for several instances of lying to her friends over previous controversies, "manipulating" her audience of 9 to 17 year olds, and also accuse her of not writing her own book.[7]
Personal life
In 2016, she took a short break from making videos to get a nose job from plastic surgeon Ramtin Kassir.[5] Sections of her fans believe she is dating Juanpa Zurita,[17] while others believe she is dating Ray Diaz.[18] However, Pons told The Cut that she does not like to say "To protect the innocent fans who are so invested in her imagined personal life".[5]
Filmography
Films
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | My Big Fat Hispanic Family | Lele | Short film |
2016 | Insane Kids | Lele | Short film |
2017 | The Walking Dead: No Man's Land | Lele | Short film |
2017 | The Space Between Us | Tulsa's classmates | Cameo |
2017 | Caught the Series | Clean up man | Guest star |
2017 | Scooby Doo Is Back | Daphne | Short film |
2017 | Latino Hunger Games | Herself | Short film |
2018 | Airplane Mode | Herself | Main role |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | We Love You | Callie | TV film |
2016 | Scream | Movie Victim | Season two, episode one: "I Know What You Did Last Summer" |
2016 | Escape the Night | The Hustler | Season one, main role |
2018 | La Voz México | Leading | FOX EST |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | "She's Out of Her Mind" | Blink-182 | Runner |
2017 | "Summer" | Marshmello | Dorky girl |
"Havana" | Camila Cabello | Bella | |
"Downtown" (lyric video) | Anitta and J Balvin | Dancer | |
2018 | "The Middle" | Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey | |
"Dicen" | Lele Pons | Singer/Lead | |
"Celoso" |
Discography
Singles
Title | Year | Peaks | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Latin [19] |
ARG [20] |
SPA [21] |
VEN [22] | ||||||||||
"Dicen" (with Matt Hunter) |
2018 | 29 | — | 84 | — | TBA | |||||||
"Celoso" | 11 | 55 | 7 [24] |
27 |
| ||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Viner | Nominated |
2015 | Shorty Awards | Vine Star | Nominated |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Web Star: Female | Nominated | |
Choice Viner | Nominated | ||
Streamy Awards | Best Viner | Nominated | |
2016 | People's Choice Award | Favorite Social Media Star | Nominated |
Premios Juventud | 6 Segundos de Fama | Nominated | |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Viner | Won | |
Streamy Awards | Best Ensemble Cast for Escape the Night (with Joey Graceffa, Shane Dawson, Justine Ezarik, Sierra Furtado, GloZell Green, Matt Haag, Oli White, Andrea Brooks, Timothy DeLaGhetto and Eva Gutowski) | Won | |
2017 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Web Star: Comedy | Nominated |
MTV Millennial Awards | Best YouTube Collaboration (Supercollab) | Won | |
Worldwide Instagrammer of the Year | Nominated | ||
2018 | Shorty Awards | YouTuber of the Year | Nominated |
MTV Millennial Awards | Worldwide Instagrammer of the Year | Won | |
Instastories of the Year | Nominated | ||
Dance Cover | Nominated | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Female Web Star | Nominated | |
Choice Comedy Web Star | Nominated | ||
Choice YouTuber | Nominated | ||
Nickelodeon Mexico Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite YouTuber | Nominated | |
BreakTudo Awards | International Youtuber | Pending | |
Debut Music Video | Pending | ||
People's Choice Awards | The Social Star of 2018 | Pending |
References
- ^ "About LelePons". YouTube.
- ^ Pons, Lele (June 15, 2016). "FIRST Q&A ANSWERED BY FRIENDS". Retrieved July 31, 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Gutelle, Sam (May 16, 2018). "Social Star Lele Pons Will Host The Mexican Version Of 'The Voice'". TubeFilter. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ a b Spangler, Todd (May 16, 2018). "Internet Star Lele Pons Named Host of Televisa's 'La Voz México' Singing Competition". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Jones, Allie (April 18, 2017). "Lele Pons Is One Fart Joke Away From World Domination". The Cut. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Firman, Tehrene (February 19, 2015). "Exclusive! Get to Know Lele Pons, the Girl Behind Those Vines You Can't Stop Watching". Teen Vogue. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c Bartleet, Larry (March 23, 2018). "How the internet community is turning on Lele Pons, formerly the world's #1 Viner". NME. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Armstrong, Megan (January 11, 2017). "How Shots Studios Plans to Take Over the Music Industry". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ "Surviving High School". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=
(help) - ^ Spangler, Todd (March 23, 2016). "YouTube, AwesomenessTV 'We Love You' Movie to Star FouseyTube, Lele Pons". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Debler, Lance (May 13, 2016). "The First 7 Minutes of Scream's Season Two Premiere Is Here". MTV. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Hansen, Lena (January 31, 2018). "5 Reasons to Love Internet Sensation Lele Pons". People Chica. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ^ "Lele Pons Drops Debut Music Video, Clocking 10 Million Views In 4 Days". TubeFilter. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ^ Kowalski, Kristine Hope (February 10, 2017). "So Exciting: Lele Pons Is the Newest CoverGirl". Twist. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Lanigan, Róisín (March 1, 2017). "Does anyone know what's happened to Dolce & Gabbana?". Babe. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Diaz, Johnny (August 17, 2018). "Youtube star Lele Pons debuts solo music video 'Celoso'". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ^ Riccardi, Alex (May 4, 2018). "Did Lele Pons Just Confirm She's Dating Fellow YouTube Star Juanpa Zurita?". J-14. American Media Inc. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ Shekh, Mahammad Arsad (August 31, 2017). "After Lele Pons Dating rumors with Ray Diaz faded, Who is she Dating Currently? Know her Affairs". Frost Snow. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
- ^ "Hot Latin Songs: The Week of May 19, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ "Argentina Hot 100 – Semana del 13 de Octubre del 2018". Billboard Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved October 14, 2018.
- ^ "Matt Hunter / Lele Pons discography". spanishcharts.com. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ "Top 100 Venezuela – Semana 39 del 2018 – Del 21/09/2018 al 27/09/2018" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ^ a b "Gold & Platinum - RIAA (Lele Pons)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ "Top 100 Canciones – Semana 40: del 28.9.2018 al 4.10.2018" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
External links
- 1996 births
- Living people
- American actresses
- American people of Italian descent
- American people of Spanish descent
- American people of Venezuelan descent
- American YouTubers
- Female YouTubers
- Hispanic and Latino American actresses
- People from Caracas
- People from Miami
- Pranksters
- Spanish-language singers of the United States
- Venezuelan emigrants to the United States
- Venezuelan people of Catalan descent
- Venezuelan people of Italian descent
- Venezuelan people of Spanish descent
- Venezuelan people
- Venezuelan YouTubers
- Vine celebrities
- Women video artists
- YouTube Diamond Play Button recipients