She has since appeared in acting roles in television and film, and beginning in 2013 was a housewife on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for its fourth season.

After doing many small roles in her native Puerto Rico, Giraud moved to Miami, Florida where she continued a successful modeling career.

In 2001, after being the undefeated model of Star Search, she decided to take the leap toward Los Angeles where she has received parts in numerous films and TV shows.

[4] In film, Giraud has had roles in David Fincher's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Dude, Where's My Car?, Miss Castaway, and Slayer.

In 2013, she joined the main cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for the fourth season, becoming the show's first Latina and ethnic minority housewife.

In 2012, Giraud created the annual international beauty pageant Queen of the Universe,[6] benefiting the programs of the UNESCO Foundation for Children in Need.

Despite a scandal that almost cost her the crown due to some sexy modeling shots,[10] Giraud was cleared by Donald Trump to compete in the Miss Universe 1998 pageant in Hawaii where she was a crowd favorite and finished as 2nd runner-up behind Veruska Ramírez of Venezuela and winner Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago.

Later that year, she wrote a book called "Joyce, Dreams and Realities", based on her experiences in the Miss Universe pageant.

[citation needed] In 2000, Giraud became the only undefeated model to win every episode of Star Search aka Destination Stardom in Honolulu, Hawaii.