Veronica Jo Merrell-Burriss[2] and Vanessa Jo Vaughn-Merrell[3] (born August 6, 1996), known as the Merrell Twins, are American identical twin YouTubers, actresses, producers, musicians, singers and songwriters.
The Merrell Twins are identical twin sisters born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 6, 1996, to Paul Merrell; a musician, one time youth pastor and video editor/producer/director, and Wendy Merrell; a former school administrator.[4] Veronica "Roni" is 45 minutes older than Vanessa "Nessa". They grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, before moving to Greater Los Angeles in June 2012 at nearly 16 years old to pursue a career in acting and filming for their YouTube channel.[5] They also had a very short time with Disney Channel.[6]
In 2015, the Merrell Twins enrolled in California State University, Northridge. Veronica was studying screenwriting and Vanessa was studying TV production.[7]
The Merrell Twins launched their main YouTube channel in late 2009, but they didn't take it seriously and upload videos to it consistently until around 2013.[8] Their videos are produced and edited by their father, Paul Merrell.[6] They often appear in AwesomenessTV videos and had recurring roles on the television show Jane the Virgin.[6] They appeared in the 2016 film The Standoff. In 2016 at the 8th Shorty Awards, they won for YouNower of the Year.[9]
They won a Streamy Award for Best Live Social Media in 2016.[10] In 2017, they were nominated for Choice Female Web Star at the Teen Choice Awards.[11] In 2018, they were nominated for two Teen Choice Awards: Choice Female Web Star and Choice YouTuber.[12] They won the 2018 Streamy Award in the Lifestyle category.[13]
In July 2018, the Merrell Twins released their clothing line, True IMG. The phrase 'true image' is derived from the meaning of Veronica's name, and its logo features a butterfly dotting the 'I' in IMG referring to the meaning of Vanessa's name in Greek.[14]
They were nominated in 2019 for Best YouTube Ensemble at the 11th Shorty Awards.[15] At the 2020 Kids' Choice Awards, they were nominated for Favorite Female Social Star.[16]
In collaboration with AwesomenessTV, the twins launched Twin My Heart, a reality TV show aimed at finding love for one of the twins, Vanessa Merrell. The success of season one led to a second season being released in 2020 which revolved around two of the twins' best friends, Franny Arrieta and Nezza. The show was renewed further for a third season the following year revolving around TikTok star Nate Wyatt.[17][18] They also produced and acted in three web shows called "Where is My Romeo?", "Prom Knight", and "Breaking into College".
In the beginning of 2023, Vanessa and her husband John Vaughn, formed a music duo "ButterflyTiger" and released their debut single, "Love Me (Like You Do)" on February 24, 2023.
On December 27, 2021, Veronica married YouTuber Aaron Burriss.[19]
On January 27, 2023, Vanessa married musician John Vaughn.[20][21]
The twins have stated in several videos that they are of Spanish, Portuguese, Irish, German and Mexican descent.[22][23]
| Year(s) | Title | Veronica's role | Vanessa's role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2016 | Jane the Virgin | Victoria | Valeria | 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Faking It | Willa | Ella | Episode: "Prom Scare" |
| 2016 | The Standoff | Mia | Maya | Direct-to-video film |
| 2017 | Hyperlinked | Missy | Chrissy | Episode: "The Interview" |
| 2020 | Like a Boss | Lola | Layla | |
| 2024 | Mean Girls | Social Media Friend | Social Media Friend | [24] |
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Switched | Olivia | [25] |
| Year | Award Show | Category | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Shorty Awards | YouNower of the Year | Won | [9] |
| Streamy Awards | Live | Won | [10] | |
| 2017 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Female Web Star | Nominated | [11] |
| 2018 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Female Web Star | Nominated | [12] |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Youtuber | Nominated | [12] | |
| Streamy Awards | Lifestyle | Won | [13] | |
| 2019 | Shorty Awards | Best YouTube Ensemble | Nominated | [15] |
| 2020 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Female Social Star | Nominated | [16] |
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