Birth : Charlotte was born in Puerto Rico on September 25, 1976, to a mother who was schizophrenic and an alcoholic.
Foster Care Experience : From a very young age Charlotte bounced between birth family to several different foster homes while the state tried to reunify the her with her mother and siblings. At the age of 14, Charlotte was sent to a group home. She was adopted at the age of 17 after writing her social worker telling about her desires for a real family.
Claim to Fame: She was encouraged by her foster mother to enter into the Miss Vermont Teen USA pagent and won! She then went on to win the Miss Teen USA title in 1992. After college Ayanna was selected by Ricky Martin to star in his video “She’s All I Ever Love”. Since then, she has appeared in several television series. She has also been in movies such as “Stealing Time”, “Dancing at the Blue Iguanna”, "Kate & Leopold”. Charlotte also co-stars with Adrien Brody in “Love the Hard Way”.
Fun Fact : Charlotte changed her last name from Lopez to Ayanna when she learned that her grandfather had abandoned her mother as a child. Ayanna means blessed in Cherokee.
What is she doing now?: Charlotte Ayanna speaks out for foster children. She also has written a book entitled “Lost in the System”.
She writes: "I crisscrossed the country again and again and spoke to literally thousands of foster kids and their parents and the social workers and legal and police personnel who are involved with them. Sometimes I thought I was dreaming. All these MSWs and PhDs and CHINs and Esqs sitting out there in the audience, their faces lifted in my direction, waiting for me to give them advice! I actually testified before legislators! Once I was even on the same platform with U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno!"
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