Amanda Lee Williford was born on 22 January 1981, in Ruskin, Florida USA, and is a singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, model and television personality, but perhaps best known as the self- proclaimed Bad Girl of Pop.
So just how rich is Willa Ford now? According to sources, Ford has earned a net worth of over $1.5 million, as of early 2017, established through her involvement in the entertainment industry which began in the late 1990s.
Willa Ford Net Worth $1.5 million
Ford grew up in Ruskin, where she attended East Bay High School in Gibsonton. She began her music career singing with the Tampa Bay Children’s Choir when she was eight, and then became a member of a children’s performing arts troupe called Entertainment Revue. She left the troupe at 15, and briefly joined a local band called FLA, before eventually moving to Los Angeles, California.
At the age of 18, she began to perform under the stage name Mandah, signing with MCA and releasing her song “Lullaby”, which was put on the soundtrack of “Pokémon: The First Movie”. She went on to land a spot as an opening act for The Backstreet Boys, paving her way to recognition. Her net worth began to rise.
After changing her stage name to Willa Ford, she changed label too, signing with Atlantic Records, and began writing, recording and executive producing most of her material. Her debut album “Willa Was Here” came out in 2001, reaching #56 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and becoming a worldwide hit, as did its single “I Wanna Be Bad”, with Ford achieving increased popularity and a boost to her net worth.
Meanwhile, she was contracted to Pantene Pro-V’s ProVoice campaign as a spokesperson, and as a model for Bongo ads. She went on to appear on the in-concert cable special “Teensation”, and in the music video for the song “In A Little While” by Uncle Kracker. She also served as a guest host of MTVs “TRL” and “Say What Karaoke” numerous times, which led to her signing a contract with the network, after which she hosted several MTV shows, such as the 2003 “The Morning After”.
Around the same time, Ford appeared in her first reality television series, ” I Bet You Will”, and released the song “A Toast to Men” from her unreleased second album “Sexysexobsessive”; the song achieved some success, appearing in soap operas promotional ads, so Ford’s net worth rose again.
Showing her versatility, in 2005 she was the host of the first season of Spike TV’s reality television series and fighting competition “The Ultimate Fighter”, after which she appeared as summer’s guest doll for the Las Vegas shows of The Pussycat Dolls. The following year she played quarterback for the Dallas Desires in the Lingerie Bowl III during half-time of Super Bowl XL, and then appeared in Playboy magazine. Later that year, Ford was a contestant in the third season of the TV dance competition show “Dancing with the Stars”, then in 2007 she hosted the third season of the Fuse TV dance contest “Pants-Off Dance-Off”, and also introduced her home in the shows “MTV Cribs” and “My Celebrity Home”, reinforcing her status in showbiz as well as increasing her fortune.
In 2009 Ford landed the role of Chelsea in the slasher film “Friday the 13th”, followed by then playing Becca in the 2010 film “Universal Squadrons” and expanded her acting resume by appearing in the TV series “The Glades”, “Magic City” and “Leverage”, and in films including “The Nurse”, “Any Day” and “Checkmate”. Ford’s most recent appearance was in the action film “Submerged”, and in the television film “A Father’s Secret”, in 2016.
Speaking about her personal life, Ford was married to hockey player Michael Mondano from 2007 to 2012. As of 2015 she has been married to former American Football linebacker Ryan Nece, with whom she has a son.
