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.
| Merrell Twins | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Merrell Twins in April 2024 | ||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||
| Born | Veronica Jo Merrell Vanessa Jo Merrell August 6, 1996 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |||||||||
| Occupation(s) | YouTube personalities, actresses, producers, musicians, singers, songwriters | |||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Veronica: Aaron Burriss (m. 2021) Vanessa: John Vaughn (m. 2023) | |||||||||
| Website | merrelltwins | |||||||||
| YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channels | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2009–present | |||||||||
| Subscribers | 6.24 million[1] (August, 2023) | |||||||||
| Total views | 1.61 billion[1] (August, 2023) | |||||||||
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Early years
editThe 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 roughly at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting and filming for their YouTube channel. [5] They also had a very short time with Disney Channel.[6]
Education
editIn 2015, the Merrell Twins enrolled in California State University, Northridge. Veronica was studying screenwriting and Vanessa was studying TV production.[7]
Career
editThe Merrell Twins launched their main YouTube channel in late 2009, but they didn't take it seriously and upload videos to it consistently until about the start of 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.
Personal lives
editOn 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 at least a couple of videos that they are of Spanish, Portuguese, Irish, German and Mexican descent.[22][23]
Filmography
edit- This filmography is of the twins as a duo.
| 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] |
- This filmography is of Vanessa Merrell.
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Switched | Olivia | [25] |
Awards and nominations
edit| 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] |
References
edit- ^ a b "About merrelltwins". YouTube.
- ^ Merrell Twins (January 4, 2022). "My Twin Sister Got Married!". Merrell Twins. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ Vanessa and John's Wedding Video, February 28, 2023, retrieved March 1, 2023
- ^ Gomez, Patrick. They specialized in horseback riding and rodeos."5 Things to Know About Jane the Virgin and YouTube's Merrell Twins". People. December 13, 2015.
- ^ Twersky, Carolyn. "9 Hilarious Insider Facts About the Merrell Twins". Seventeen. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ a b c Spangler, Todd. "Vanessa & Veronica Merrell: Twins Win Social Fans and Angle for TV Show". Variety. June 21, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (March 5, 2021). "Merrell Twins on Their Newest Dating Show, Pitching Hollywood and Why They'll Never Quit YouTube". Variety.
- ^ Gavilanes, Grace. "Shorty Award Nominees The Merrell Twins on Their Lives as Famous YouTubers: 'It's Made Us More Confident'". People. April 11, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "About Merrell Twins. Shortyawards.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Spangler, Todd (October 5, 2016). "Streamy Awards 2016: Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ a b Vulpo, Mike (August 14, 2017). "Teen Choice Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List". E! News. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Zack (August 12, 2018). "Teen Choice Awards 2018 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ a b "Kids and Family – Streamy Awards 2018: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ Weiss, Geoff (July 16, 2018). "The Merrell Twins To Launch 'True Img' Fashion Brand Tomorrow". tubefilter. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ a b "Merrell Twins - YouTube Ensemble - The Shorty Awards". shortyawards.com. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Dupre, Elyse (May 3, 2020). "Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2020 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ "Twin My Heart – Episode List". m.imdb.com. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ Welch, Teddi (March 24, 2020). "Vanessa & Veronica Merrell Talk 'Twin My Heart' Lessons Learned, Clout-Chasers, & Insecurities". The Whisp. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Singh, Esha (January 2, 2022). "Who is Aaron Burriss? All about YouTuber Veronica Merrell's husband as couple get married". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "Vanessa Merrell Gets Engaged to Musician Boyfriend John Vaughn – See Her Ring!". onenewspage.com.
- ^ Vanessa and John's Wedding Video, February 28, 2023, retrieved March 1, 2023
- ^ "Merrell Twins Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions". YouTube. May 7, 2019.
- ^ "Merrell Twins - Q&A Part 2". YouTube. September 7, 2013.
- ^ Olsen, Samantha (January 12, 2024). "All the Cameos in the 'Mean Girls' Musical Movie, From Lindsay Lohan to Megan Thee Stallion". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Caruso, Skyler (September 3, 2020). "Vanessa Merrell Opens Up About Filming 'Switched' Without Her Sister Veronica By Her Side". Tigerbeat | Teen Life & All Things Cool!. Retrieved September 8, 2020.