Valletta eventually transitioned into acting, earning her first major role in Robert Zemeckis’s supernatural thriller What Lies Beneath (2000) alongside Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. She later appeared in films such as Hitch (2005), Transporter 2 (2005), Man About Town (2006), Dead Silence (2007), Gamer (2009), and The Spy Next Door (2010).
On Wednesday, the 52-year-old made a striking appearance at the annual An Unforgettable Evening gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, benefiting the Women’s Cancer Research Fund. She wore a pale pink ensemble and was joined by stars including Jennifer Lopez and Sofia Vergara.
Valletta’s television work includes a recurring role in ABC’s drama Revenge as socialite Lydia Davis in 2011, and in 2015 she appeared as Carla Briggs in the ABC soap Blood & Oil. Her most recent project was the 2021 film Jungle Red with Stella Maxwell.
The model and actress has been candid about her past struggles with drugs and alcohol, celebrating 25 years of sobriety in 2020. In an interview with Porter, she credited quitting substance abuse with saving her life, explaining that even her love for family and life couldn’t have prevented the consequences if she had continued using. Valletta first revealed her early introduction to drugs at age 10 and her use of cocaine starting at 18.
Reflecting on her modeling career, Valletta said she felt disconnected early on but now prioritizes living authentically, embracing both her emotions and compassion toward others. She highlighted her 16 American Vogue covers and her work as a Versace ambassador, noting the intense but supportive relationships she shared with peers like Kate Moss and Shalom Harlow. She also expressed discomfort with the modern “selfie era” in fashion, contrasting it with the professionalism of her modeling days.
Outside of entertainment, Valletta has become an activist, serving as a spokesperson for ’s Seafood Contamination Campaign. In November, she was arrested alongside Jane Fonda during a climate change protest in Washington, DC, an act she described as a necessary risk to make a meaningful statement about the planet’s future.
The mother-of-one shares her 25-year-old son Auden with ex-husband Chip McCaw. Valletta has expressed deep concern for the environment, acknowledging her desire for future generations, including great-grandchildren, to experience a world with thriving wildlife like elephants and whales.
