Steffiana de la Cruz was born Stephanie Anna Marie Zantua, per The Things. She changed her name for her career as a model and actor.
Years before she met Kevin James, de la Cruz was in a long relationship with actor Christopher Penn, the younger brother of Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn. The two dated from 1993 to 1999, according to the website Who's Dated Who. In a 1996 interview with The Independent, Penn, whose acting credits included "Reservoir Dogs," "Footloose," and "All the Right Moves" (per IMDb), talked about dating de la Cruz, who was working as a model at the time and known professionally as the "Asian Budweiser girl." Penn said he would not have cared if de la Cruz was a "plumber."
"She started modeling after we got together, not before, and she was always beautiful," he said. "I don't need a campaign or an agency to tell me that." There are few details on the former couple's relationship and breakup. However, Penn had battled addiction in the past and later died in 2006 at age 40 of heart disease, per People.
