Hennessy Carolina

Hennessy Carolina Almánzar was born on December 22, 1995, in the Bronx, New York City,^[5][6] to Carlos Almánzar, a Dominican, and Clara Almánzar, a Trinidadian of African and Spanish descent.^[7] She was named after the cognac Hennessy, as her father arrived intoxicated on Hennessy at her birth and suggested the name to her mother.^[8][9] She identifies as Afro-Latina and has an older sister, Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar (born 1992), also known as Cardi B.^[10] She completed her early education at a local private high school before attending Renaissance High School for Musical Theater & Technology, a vocational high school located on the Herbert H. Lehman High School campus.^[11][12]

Hennessy Carolina began her career in late 2015, posting videos on the Vine app alongside her elder sister, Cardi B.^[13] Following Vine's success, she transitioned to television.^[14] In 2016, Hennessy appeared as herself on episodes of Love & Hip Hop: Check Yourself, after auditioning for the Love & Hip Hop TV series.^[15]

Hennessy appeared on Love & Hip Hop: New York, with a total of 12 episode appearances throughout the show's run from 2016 to 2018. She first appeared as a guest star in Season 6 of Love & Hip Hop: New York, playing herself as Cardi B's friend and confidante.^[16][17] She later joined the supporting cast in Season 7, where she acted as a matchmaker for Cardi B and producer Swift Star.^[18] At the Season 7 reunion, Hennessy got into a physical altercation with Major Galore while defending her sister.^[19] After leaving the show, Hennessy made a one-episode appearance in Season 8.^[20] Additionally, she filmed scenes for two more episodes, but they were cut from the main broadcast and released as bonus content on VH1's website.^[21]

Hennessy appeared on The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars, a special mini-series of MTV's The Challenge,^[22] specifically Season 2, which premiered on April 17, 2018.^[23] In an interview, Hennessy admitted that appearing on Champs vs. Stars was intimidating. "To be honest, I was really scared of going on the show because they do a lot,' she said. Although the $150,000 prize goes to a charity of their choice, the competition is complicated by political tensions between The Challenge veterans and celebrity contestants".^[24] She withdrew from the competition after multiple confrontations with cast members, citing concerns for her well-being.^[25]

In a 2018 interview with Paper Magazine, Hennessy reflected on her and her sister Cardi B's rise to fame. "It's a blessing, but it comes with challenges," she said. "Sometimes you can't express your opinion, and not everyone will agree with you. Overall, it's a blessing."^[26] Hennessy walked the runway for Philipp Plein's show in Milan in September 2018.^[27] Although she was nervous.^[28]

In November 2018, Hennessy collaborated with Boohoo on a limited-edition collection.^[29][30] The collection featured sequined dresses, glittery separates, jewel-tone blazers, and strappy heels, all priced under £70 and available in sizes UK 6-24.^[31][32] Hennessy appeared on two episodes of the television game show Hip Hop Squares in 2019.^[33][34] That same year, in August, she landed a campaign with Moschino.^[35][36][37] In a 2019 interview with Galore, Hennessy shared her career aspirations: "I want to dominate the fashion industry and I would eventually like to get into the makeup industry.^[38][39] As of October 2024, Hennessy has accumulated over 8 million followers on Instagram.^[40][41]

Hennessy Carolina publicly identified as bisexual in an instagram post in 2018.^[42][43] She was in a relationship with Michelle "Mel" Diaz from 2017 to 2021.^[44]