Monica Spear was a Venezuelan-born, award-winning actress and attractiveness contest winner. As a teen, she relocated to the United States with her family. She returned to Venezuela as an adult to pursue a career in entertainment. She utilized her celebrity status to raise funds for victims of domestic violence and those with autism. She expressed publicly her unwillingness to live amidst Venezuela’s violence and instability. She was victimized by that environment. At the age of twenty-nine, she and her ex-husband were murdered by highway criminals in Venezuela while on vacation. Their child was injured, but she survived the attack. Protesters and Venezuelan reform activists incorporate her image and narrative into their anti-violence campaigns. Her telenovelas continue to broadcast on Venezuelan and Spanish-language television, frequently in conjunction with fund-raising and awareness-raising events. There are numerous tributes to Spear on YouTube and other prominent media websites, as she remains a popular figure. In Venezuela’s fight against violence and crime, she has acquired legendary status as a martyr.
Youth and Early Life
Mónica Spear Mootz was born in Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela on October 1, 1984 to parents Rafael Spear Tudares and Ingeborg Mootz Gotera. She was related to Rafael, Carolina, Javier, and Ricardo. In 2000, following her mother’s retirement from a Venezuelan energy company, her family relocated to Orlando, Florida. Today, her surviving relatives reside in Florida.
She received her secondary education in the United States. She graduated from Seminole Community College with distinction in 2003 and the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in 2004. She specialized in chemical engineering at first but later switched to theater.
A profession of Monica
Spear first attempted modeling after graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in theater.
In 2004, she returned to her native Venezuela to compete in the Miss Venezuela competition. In 2005, following her participation in the Miss Universe competition, she launched a television acting career. She had starring roles in several Venezuelan telenovelas for RCTV, including ‘El Desprecio’ (2006), ‘Mi Prima Ciela’ (2007), ‘Calle Luna, Calle Sol (2009), and ‘Que el Cielo Me Explicit (2010-2011). A number of her RCTV productions have also been broadcast on American Spanish television networks.
In the autumn of 2010, she portrayed a young woman with Asperger’s syndrome on the Venevision telenovela ‘La mujer Perfecta’. After her passing, the telenovela was rebroadcast to generate money for an Asperger’s foundation.
In her final years, she performed in the telenovelas ‘Flor Salvaje’ (2011-2012) and ‘Pasión prohibida’ (2013-2014) for the Spanish-language, American-based network Telemundo.
Monica’s Major Opera
In 2006, she made her debut on the Venezuelan telenovela scene as Tamara Campos de Velandró in ‘El Despreci’o.
Her performance as Graciela Andrena Zambrano vila, an adolescent battling leukemia, in ‘Mi prima Ciel’a in 2007 made her one of Venezuela’s most in-demand soap opera actresses. Her role as Bianca Santillana in the 2013 telenovela ‘Pasión prohibida’ marked her successful transition to Telemundo, a Spanish-language production company based in the United States.
Honors & Accomplishments
Spear was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2004. In 2005, she placed fourth in the Miss Universe competition. For her role in the telenovela ‘El Desprecio’, she was named New Actress of the Year at the 2007 Venezuelan Premios 2 de Oro.
In 2008, she was named El Galardón del Universo del Espectáculo’s Best Young Lead Actress for her portrayal in the telenovela “Mi prima Ciela.” The Premios Tu Mundo nominated her for Favorite Lead Actress in 2013 for her performance in the telenovela “Pasión prohibida.”
Personal History and Legacy
In 2008, she married Thomas Henry Berry. The birth of their daughter Maya occurred in October 2009. They divorced in 2012, but reports at the time of their deaths indicated that they were reconciling. On vacation in Venezuela on January 6, 2014, she and her ex-husband were wounded during an attempted robbery on a highway in central Carabobo. After their automobile broke down, they were awaiting assistance. Maya, their daughter, was struck in the leg but survived. She currently resides in Florida with her maternal grandparents.
Estimated Net Worth
Mónica Spear was a beauty queen, model, and telenovela actress with a $300 thousand net worth. Mónica Spear Mootz, better known as Mónica Spear, was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela on October 1, 1984. She earned the title of Miss Venezuela in 2004 and placed fourth in the Miss Universe competition in 2005. She then began performing in Venezuelan soap operas.
Trivia
Spear’s mother’s family emigrated from Germany to Venezuela. Spear faced significant strain during the 2005 Miss Universe Pageant, as in 2004 Ana Karina Ez had become the first Miss Venezuela in 22 years to not place in the top 15. She spoke Spanish, English, and French fluently.
In 2004, during a morning interview following her coronation as Miss Venezuela, Spear infamously stated that Gabriel Garcia Márquez was her favorite Venezuelan playwright. At the time of her death, she was a naturalized American citizen and a resident of Miami, Florida. She stated in interviews that she was hesitant to raise her daughter in Venezuela due to the violence there.