My Gossip Center

Mendoza has stated that she enjoys "design, photography, advertising and wave surfing." She was once kidnapped in Venezuela, and stated the trauma taught her to remain poised under pressure

In 2001, Mendoza signed with Elite Model Management and was a finalist at the Elite Model Look International 2001, in Nice, France. She has worked with the companies Max Mara and Costume Nacional, where she modeled in New York, Italy, Germany, France, Athens and Spain for Versace, Roberto Cavalli and other fashion designers. She speaks Spanish, English, and Italian. After Elite, she signed to Trump Model Management, and in Milan, Names Model Agency.

Mendoza was caught in a nude scandal after photos of her modeling naked for a jewelry firm surfaced. Officials from the Miss Universe Organization decided against penalizing her, saying that the candid photos were not pornographic, but instead were "artistic in nature, and they don't have an ounce of pornographic content to them.