ESPN.com - Shanna Moakler

ESPN.com: Page 2

Tuesday, December 4, 2001
Updated: December 5, 12:21 PM ET
Shanna Moakler

Page 2 staff

Shanna Moakler is a former Miss USA (1995), an actress (TV's "Pacific Blue" and movies such as "The Wedding Singer" and "Love Stinks") and the former girlfriend of The Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya, whom she is suing for $62.5 million (palimony).


	Shanna Moakler won the Miss USA crown in 1995.

Because Moakler claims to be an expert on boxing, Page 2's Todd Gallagher hit her with 10 of our most pointed Burning Questions -- on fixed fights, the perils of life with Oscar, her current boyfriend (actor Dennis Quaid) and the rest of her storied love life. She came through beautifully.

1. Page 2: How many times do you get hit on in a given day? And don't give us that garbage, "You'd be surprised ..."

Moakler: It depends on how I look. When I'm all dressed up, no one comes up and hits on me at all. Ever.

Why?

Moakler: I don't know. Either they're intimidated or ... I don't know. I've had boyfriends that I've had to go up to, where they were like, "I would have never gone up to you."

That's weird, because most times you see a pretty girl somewhere and 20 guys are flocking to her.

Moakler: Well, if I'm dressed down like I am now, they hit on me all the time. It blows my mind. I look horrible right now. When I'm all dolled up, they don't even come close. Sometimes when I'm in my car and I look horrible, they're like, "Hi." What am I going to do -- pull over and be like, "What's your number?"

2. Have you gone out with any guys who are really kicking themselves now? You know, everyone's got the "I was the biggest dork in high school " story.


	Moakler played rookie cop Monica Harper on USA Network's "Pacific Blue."

Moakler: No, I really was the biggest dork in high school. I know everyone says that, but I was 4-foot-11 and 75 pounds when I was 17. I didn't hit puberty until I was 17, so no one hit on me.

3. Were you a gymnast or something?

Moakler: I was a competitive roller skater for 12 years.

You mean Rollerblading?

Moakler: No, roller skating. Everything you see in ice skating, except on roller skates. It's a big world, a lot of people don't know. But we're in the World Games, the Pan-Am Games. It's not in the Olympics, but it's huge. Italy, France, they all do it.

When I was done with the roller skating and hit puberty, I got to fulfill all of those high school fantasies, like dating the captain of the football team and winning best-dressed. But until then I didn't date anyone in high school, because I was such a dork.

4. What's your most embarrassing sexual experience?

Moakler: The most embarrassing was when I lost my virginity. My dad's a dentist, and this guy and I were in his office. My mom walked into the next room and turned the light switch on and was like, "Shanna?" The guy skyrocketed out across the room. Suffice to say, the passion never was the same between us.

How old were you?


	Moakler is currently dating actor Dennis Quaid.

Moakler: 18. I was a good girl.

5. Our "girlfriend" wanted us to ask: Who's better in bed -- Dennis or Oscar?

Moakler: Dennis, by a landslide! And he's got a better body. You'd think Oscar would, being a boxer and training and everything, but ...

6. How did it go wrong with Oscar?

Moakler: When he lost to Shane Mosley, things had a different feeling, but I never thought the problem was with our love and us. I thought it was more about his defeat. As a man, as a Mexican man, going through that ... I always thought it was just something he was working out. I thought the problem was the public humiliation of that loss. Before that, there were stupid little problems, like "Why didn't you call me?" or that he traveled a lot, but nothing serious. Naturally, there are going to be problems with a very conservative Mexican man being with a very independent woman. But there were never any problems where I thought we would leave each other.

So what happened?

Moakler: I'm sitting in bed, watching the Latin Grammy awards, feeling hurt that he went without me. Then, I see him there with another woman. I was devastated. I had no idea there were any real problems in the relationship until that point.


	Moakler had a baby girl with Oscar de la Hoya and was once engaged to the fighter.

He says he wasn't there with the woman.

Moakler: He was. ... He just married her. Which is fine.

How much of the problems with Oscar had to do with the fact both of you were young?

Moakler: You can't look at Oscar like you would you and I. He didn't have a normal upbringing. He was extremely poor, not very well-educated, spent his entire life in the gym, never really got to go out. Or at least never got to go out at the right time, when you're supposed to go out and meet girls and drink beers. He never got to do that because he was always in the gym. Now, at a time when you and I are working on our careers, when his own responsibilities are heightened, that's when he's out sleeping with the world and gambling, drinking and acting like an ass. So in the big picture, I can understand where the poor kid's coming from, but the way he handled the situation with me and our kid was in poor taste and really kind of mean.

7. Have you dated any other athletes or celebrities?

Moakler: I definitely won't date any other major athletes. What I've seen from my own situation and from girlfriends who have also dated athletes is there's definitely a spoiled-kid attitude going on there. I've dated other celebrities, but they're cheesy.

Who are they?

Moakler: No, I can't. Especially now that it's going to be written up that I just called them cheesy.

Come on, we'll find out. Just give us a couple. If they're cheesy, we're sure they know it anyway.

Moakler: OK, I dated Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block, I dated a "Baywatch" boy named David Charvet, and I dated Billy Idol.

That's awesome! We love Billy Idol.

Moakler: He's so sexy. (English accent) You know he's got that English thing going on.


	Rock star Billy Idol used his English accent to woo Moakler.

We can't believe that works!

Moakler: Yeah, it works. I'm a fan of accents.

And the hair?

Moakler: And the hair, and everything! He's a rock star ... he's so cute.

What's something you can tell us about Billy Idol we don't already know? Is he sweet and sensitive, or some crap like that?

Moakler: No, he's not too sweet and sensitive. But he's a gentleman. He's got a great mind for history, loves to talk about philosophy, and he is very intelligent. He's got a kid and is a great father. He's horrible in bed.

Why? He's certainly had enough practice.

Moakler: He has been a rock star since he was 18, and he never had to perform, because women just threw themselves at him. It just goes back to (Billy Idol impression) "I don't have to give anything because I've been getting it for years, dammit." But he's a good kisser.

8. Who's the most overrated actor?

Moakler: Geez, there's a couple really overrated actresses. I'm just not into that entire "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" stuff. They're going in and doing movies, and it's like, "When did these women become sex symbols?" It's a part of Hollywood I don't understand. You know I love Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar for what they do, but Jennifer Love Hewitt playing Audrey Hepburn? It's things like that that drive me crazy. Like boy bands and cheesy teen movies. You see those Freddie Prinze Jr. ones and I'm like & I'm not getting it. Maybe I'm getting old.

9. What television do you watch?


	"Yes, I swear it's true. I really was a dork in high school."

Moakler: "Will and Grace," "Friends" ... I know this is horrible, but I love those reality shows. I'm like "Survivor Africa," woo!

Would you go on "Survivor"?

Moakler: I would. I'd love to go out and challenge myself and see if I could win.

No, you wouldn't.

Moakler: I really would. I actually have the application, and I filled it out, but my manager was like, "Don't even think about it. I'll kill you."

10. What's you favorite sport?

Moakler: Boxing. I love the whole world of it. Sadly, it's kind of difficult for me to watch it now.

Who's your favorite boxer?

Moakler: Sugar Ray.

Sugar Ray Robinson?


	De la Hoya won't enjoy hearing that Shane Mosley is one of Moakler's favorite boxers.

Moakler: Sugar Ray Leonard.

How about currently?

Moakler: I just love (Fernando) Vargas, because I think he's hysterical; he's just entertaining to me. God, (Bernard) Hopkins looks fantastic, and I do love (Felix) Trinidad, but I really love (Shane) Mosley; He's just the most articulate, sweetest thing. I also love Floyd Mayweather for a lighter fighter. And (Lennox) Lewis redeemed himself, which was cool. It sucks for a heavyweight champion to go out the way he did the first time.

What do you think about boxing? It's such a mess.

Moakler: Boxing is a mess, and what's really bummed out is that Oscar could have really helped change all that. If he really focused, he really could have made history. Well, he's already made history, but he could have made history. There's a difference between making a name with the rest of the boxers ... and changing the sport. He could have done that. Like with the scoring system ... Oscar was lobbying to have open scoring like every other sport, so you can see where you stand, round by round.

To me, the inherent flaw in boxing is the voting. I mean, any athletic event anyone votes on is like figure skating, or roller skating. No offense.

Have you heard anything about boxing fixes?

Moakler: I have not ever seen a fight be fixed. But I definitely believe there are politics involved when there's something like a Trinidad-Oscar rematch, because everyone is going to make a lot of money, including the fighters.

But actually approaching Oscar, or Oscar ever talking to me about that stuff ... Oscar did talk to me very intimately about things like that ... no definitely not. But with Don King, and things like that, it has to exist. You'd have to be a fool to think it didn't. Scary guy.

Todd Gallagher is a screenwriter and journalist, living in Los Angeles. He was the youngest coach and director of player personnel in the history of the USBL.