Maria Menounos went on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show yesterday to promote her cookbook The EveryGirl’s Guide to Cooking. During the show, her boyfriend Keven Undergaro proposed while Maria was on air and she said yes. The E! News host and Keven have been together for nineteen years and co-founded the YouTube channel AfterBuzz TV. I am sure those of you who watched their reality show, Chasing Maria Menounos, know the couple’s story but I just learned it. Maria and Keven met before her fame and when they became a couple, her parents disowned her because Keven is not Greek. They stopped paying for Maria’s education and Keven and Maria lived in a basement in Boston trying to figure out how to actualize their dreams. Keven kept telling her they would stick to their plan and it would all work out. He also assured her that her parents would come around. The couple moved to LA – as planned – and eventually she landed her a hosting gig at Extra TV. Her parents apologized and ended up doing the reality show. Everyone seems ecstatic:
Finally! Maria Menounos is engaged to her longtime boyfriend and business partner, Keven Undergaro. Undergaro surprised the E! News host, 37, during her interview with Howard Stern on Wednesday, March 9, and popped the question.
“Although I said that this isn’t a proposal I want to ask you something, Maria,” Undergaro said while getting down on one knee. “Will you make me the happiest man on Earth?”
Menounos was visibly shocked. “Are you freaking kidding me right now?” she exclaimed.
“This show’s meant so much to both of us,” her now-fiance continued. “I said, one day you will be on that show and you will be a star, and here you are.”
Check out the ring:
It was designed by jeweler Jean Dousset and Keven. As Maria and Keven had never discussed rings, they had to work from scratch. The design is based on Maria’s “fun and chic” personality. That stone is gorgeous.
In related news, Jillian Michaels proposed to her girlfriend Heidi Rhoades after several years and two children together. On Tuesday’s episode of her “Just Jillian” reality show, the marriage-shy Jillian sought Maria for advice on Heidi’s pressing to get married. Maria said it was different for her because Keven didn’t care about marriage but she was starting to think about it. She also offered up her house as a wedding venue for Jillian and Heidi. “I have a perfect house for a wedding by the way, many people have gotten married in my house. I’ll host the wedding, it’ll be beautiful.” Well, that will come in handy. How many people have gotten married at her house exactly?
Photo Credit: Getty Images and WENN Photos
Pretty ring but celebs are so exhausting. Is everyone a lifestyle guru theses days? Are cookbooks the new workout videos?
What a grea comparison (cookbooks/workout videos). I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right.
It really does seem like EVERYONE has one! Or a lifestyle blog
I also find the whole “I’m rich and pretty, therefore I’m qualified to be a lifestyle guru” trend exhausting. However, as Sayrah mentioned below, Maria is one of the few I might actually take advice from, as she has battled weight problems and managed to get herself in shape. Just my 2 cents!
Aw… 🙁
I agree with you guys but I just love Maria so much that I can’t be mad at her for getting hers.
It’s a pretty ring and they look happy. Sweet story. Public proposals are not for me – it’s a private moment and a very serious question. Why do you need an audience? But to each their own. Congrats.
I know right? To me it seems unfair because the other person might say yes for being in public, but not really meaning it. It forces the person to say yes.
That being said, they’ve been together for almost 20 years… so maybe it isn’t too bad.
Congrats to them. I think she seems like a very sweet girl.
That’s the thing: 20 years!!!! It was guaranteed that she would say yes.
Was it? If you’re together that long, why bother changing anything?
I would hate the implication that I was waiting around for 20 years to be proposed to and he finally did it.
Women still generally are on the lower ground when it comes to marriage and proposals, as much as I dislike it
he gets to listen to that laugh for the rest of his life…he’s a better man than most
Ahahahaha. That was a good one. Also, her hair in those first two pictures is TERRIBLE.
19 years, wow. Congrats to them, but a very public proposal like that is not for me.
She looks 25. I can’t believe she’s old enough to be dating someone that long.
Also, I don’t know how you disown your daughter for something like that. Nothing could keep me from my daughter.
I know, that was really sad. And all because he wasn’t Greek? It’s not like it was because he was a horrible person or a criminal or something. I’d have a hard time forgiving the parents in the situation, but hopefully it’s all good now.
Gorgeous ring. Wasn’t there a blind item about her cheating on him with celebs?
I heard it and it was very sweet. Her parents were waiting to come in and celebrate with them. They’ve been going on the show for years and I’m not surprised that Keven sought out Howard and Beth’s help with his proposal. I’m 100% sure that he knew it would create more interest in the book though. He would do anything for Maria to be a success.
Maria struggled with her weight in college and learned how to take better care of herself so I actually value her opinion on making lifestyle changes and would look at the recipes.
Well, in this case it wasn’t the little woman hanging on for years waiting for a proposal. Maria didn’t want to get married, and they liked their relationship as it was. So it was really just a matter of when they felt like it.
I don’t get the public proposal either. But they seem really in love. The ring is stunning.
I don’t follow her. So, I didn’t know about their story. 19?! Nice!!!
I am happy for them.
I didn’t know she was the same age as me, thought she was older. She is Greek so I would be interested in her cookbook because my twin’s husband is Greek and Greek food is marvelous. I do miss my Howard in the morning. If anyone would get engaged on his show, it’s Maria. She’s definitely not the quiet, demure type.
She’s one of my all-time crushes–I just think she’s so beautiful. Also, she’s from the Boston area and she does SO much for animals. I think that’s another reason why she’s so close to Howard and Beth–because Beth is really into animal charities as well.
I love her ring and I’m so happy for her.
“Romantic or showy?”
The word that comes to mind is “calculated.”
They seem so happy and genuinely care about each other so I’m happy for her. I can’t fault the public proposal at all, after 19 years together it’s totally understandable.
In my honest opinion, Maria is one of the very few celebrity women ever with a truly aspirational body; fit, healthy and slim. And she works hard for it the old fashioned way. Really commendable. That she has my body type makes her a bit of a girl crush cos she is the definition of a near perfect pear.
Kim Kardashian should see what a real booty looks like @Maria Menuonos.
l’m definitely getting her cookbook.
Maria was overweight as a child and teen. I think she works hard at keeping her slim figure now because she doesn’t want to slip back into being overweight. She has talked about this before.
I can’t help it, I thought that was really sweet.
I wonder how hard it was to forgive her parents for cutting her off like that. It must not have been easy for Maria.
I really enjoyed their reality (??) show, I was touched by how much Maria loved her parents, and how sweet the four of them were together. Maria’s dad is diabetic, and once when he wasn’t feeling well, Keven hovered over him, making sure he took his blood sugar (level) to make sure he was ok. As a diabetic myself, that really touched me 😍