Coco Austin's Real Name: Nicole Natalie Austin

Quick answer: Coco Austin was born Nicole Natalie Austin on March 17, 1979, in Tarzana, California. Since marrying rapper and actor Ice-T (legal name Tracy Marrow), her married name is Nicole Natalie Marrow. "Coco" is a childhood nickname.

Coco Austin's real name

Her official bio says she was born Nicole Austin and that the nickname came from one of her brothers, who mispronounced "Nicole" as "Cole Cole" or "Co-co" (Coco's World official bio). News outlets now commonly give her real name as Nicole Natalie Marrow, her married name (Newsweek; Us Weekly).

Early life

Austin was born in Tarzana and raised partly in Palos Verdes, California. Her parents, Tina and Steve Austin, were actors, and she is of Serbian descent on her mother's side, according to her bio. As a teenager she moved with her mother and younger sister, Kristy Williams, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she studied dance and performed at the Albuquerque Little Theatre (Coco's World).

Modeling career

In the late 1990s Austin began working as a swimsuit and fitness model. She appeared on the cover of Swimwear Illustrated in 1997 and won the 1998 Miss Ujena swimsuit contest in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Us Weekly). She went on to appear on dozens of magazine covers and in calendars.

Marriage to Ice-T

Austin met Ice-T on a film set in 2001, and the two married in 2002 (Coco's World). Their daughter, Chanel Nicole Marrow, was born in November 2015 (People). The couple are frequently cited as one of Hollywood's longest-lasting celebrity marriages.

Television

Austin and Ice-T starred in the E! reality series Ice Loves Coco from 2011 to 2013. She has made guest appearances on Ice-T's long-running series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and appeared on shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race and The Dr. Oz Show. From 2012 to 2013 she played Bo Peep in the Las Vegas production Peepshow (Us Weekly). The couple also briefly hosted a daytime talk show, Ice & Coco, in 2015.

Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption by Ice-T and Douglas Century (book) Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season DVD