Cassidy Erin Gifford & Ben Wierda: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know – Heavy.com

Cassidy Erin Gifford is an actress and daughter of talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford. She is also newly engaged, as her mom took to Instagram Sunday (Nov. 17) to share the big news that her daughter is engaged to Ben Wierda.

So thrilled to announce that my beautiful daughter, @cassidygiff is engaged to a wonderful man, Ben @letsgetwierda I am beyond the moon and stars. Thank you, LORD! writes Gifford about her daughters happy news.

Giffords longtime Today co-host Hoda Kotb was among some of the commenters offering their congratulations to the couple, writing, Cass!!! Over the moon!!!

Heres everything you need to know about Cassidy Gifford and Ben Wierda.

Access Hollywood reports that just a few days earlier, Gifford stopped by their studios and dropped a few hints that her youngest child was probably going to have a ring on her finger soon, revealing that Cassidy and Ben have known each other since they were kids.

Cassidys probably going to get pretty engaged pretty darn soon too, I got a feeling, Gifford teased. Theyve known each other since they were 11 and 14, so its good. Its a happy time for us.

What is especially nice about that is that Wierda will have met Giffords father, Frank. Frank Gifford passed away a little over four years ago, but at least his son-in-law had plenty of time to get to know his future father-in-law.

Ben is the son of Craig and Emilie Wierda of Holland, MI. He has three siblings, Christian Chip, Andrew, and Anna, who played tennis for the University of Michiganand Pepperdine University. His mom, Emilie, is the daughter of Edgar and Elsa Prince, of the Price automobile parts empire, based out of Holland, MI., which makes current U.S. Secretary of State Betsy DeVos Emilies sister and Bens aunt. Ben is also related to Erik Prince, the former Blackwater CEO, as he is a brother to Emilie and Betsy.

Emilie and her husband Craig Wierda own and operate two car dealerships in West Michigan and also work for the Down East Yachting company, which sells luxury motor yachts. Their son Chip also works for Down East Yachting. Coincidentally, the DeVos yacht, Seaquest, was in the news in July 2019 when it was set adrift from its marina in northern Ohio.

The Giffords and the Wierdas have been friends for years. Back in 2010, Kathie Lee talked with MLive, a Michigan newspaper, about how she and husband Frank had just headlined a fundraiser for senior wellness center Evergreen Commons in Holland, Mich. Gifford talked about spending time with the Wierdas and also supporting Wierdas nephew Rick DeVos ArtPrize, a social experiment to see if artists and the public can engage each other in a new way.

And in 2012, Dick and Betsy DeVos signed on as lead producers for Giffords Broadway musical Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson.

According to his LinkedIn page, Wierda is a project manager for Clarion Technologies, Inc., which is a company that designs, develops, and manufactures injection-molded products for the automotive, home appliance, and consumer products industries.

Prior to that position, Wierda attended Pepperdine University from 2009 to 2013, during which time he bartended at the Alpen Rose Restaurant and was an assistant trainer at the Evert Tennis Academy. He also interned with the Segel Group Limited, which is where he ended up working after graduating with a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Management.

The Segel Group Limited is a business and development company based out of Santa Monica, Calif. It strives to partner with talented entrepreneurs and strong business leaders to build businesses from the ground up. Wierda worked there for four years, first as an office manager and then business analyst/investment associate

Cassidy Gifford On Her Scary New Movie 'The Gallows' | TODAYKathie Lees 21-year-old daughter Cassidy Gifford has always wanted to be an actress, and shes on her way to stardom with The Gallows. Subscribe to TODAY: http://on.today.com/SubscribeToTODAY Watch the latest from TODAY: http://bit.ly/LatestTODAY About: TODAY brings you the latest headlines and expert tips on money, health and parenting. We wake up every morning to give you and your family all you need to start your day. If it matters to you, it matters to us. We are in the people business. Subscribe to our channel for exclusive TODAY archival footage & our original web series. Connect with TODAY Online! Visit TODAY's Website: http://on.today.com/ReadTODAY Find TODAY on Facebook: http://on.today.com/LikeTODAY Follow TODAY on Twitter: http://on.today.com/FollowTODAY Follow TODAY on Google+: http://on.today.com/PlusTODAY Follow TODAY on Instagram: http://on.today.com/InstaTODAY Follow TODAY on Pinterest: http://on.today.com/PinTODAY Cassidy Gifford On Her Scary New Movie 'The Gallows' | TODAY2015-07-06T17:50:56.000Z

Gifford followed in her moms footsteps and went into the entertainment business, breaking into acting when she was just 12 years old with a small part on the Disney Channel show Thats So Raven.

Other TV credits include The Suite Life on Deck, Blue Bloods, Like Cats and Dogs, and The Baxters. But its her film work where shes really starting to make a mark. Gifford starred in The Gallows, a found-footage horror film released in 2015 that was made on a $100,000 budget and grossed $43 million worldwide. The Chicago Sun-Times Richard Roeper said of The Gallows, In a quick 80 minutes, we get the back story, we meet the four core characters (all of the young actors do fine work), get the wits scared out of us about a half-dozen times and wind up with a VERY creepy ending.

When that film was released in theaters, Esquire put Gifford on their list of the 18 Hottest Women of Summer, writing that Kathie Lees daughter is now a full-fledged Hollywood starlet headlining this horror/thriller about a small towns gruesome mass murder and its aftermath 20 years later.

Cassidy then appeared in Caged No More, where she played a young victim of human trafficking, and Time Trap, a sci-fi film directed by Ben Foster and Mark Dennis. Hammer to Nails Christopher LLewellyn Reed said that it offers viewers an intriguing premise supported by a solid ensemble cast that frequently entertains.

Also on hand to celebrate Cassidy and Bens engagement was Cassidys older brother, Cody, and his new fiancee, Erika Brown, who posted a group shot to Instagram, writing, Congratulations to the sweet couple, B and Lil C! God is so good! [Love] you both.

And Kathie Lee commented on the post, I still cant sop smiling!! My kids ARE SO HAPPY!! Makes me one HAPPY MAMA.

Cody and Erika actually announced their engagement back in May, after dating for six years. Brown wrote on Instagram at the time,, Havent been able to breathe properly since. I am so overjoyed and overtaken with love, excitement and gratitude. I get to have this hunk as my permanent partner in life and I am very thankful to God and all of you for your love!

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Cassidy Erin Gifford & Ben Wierda: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know - Heavy.com