Motta was born and grew up in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The youngest child of a large extended family, Motta was discovered on Guarapari Beach, just north of Rio de Janeiro at the age of 16 by a talent scout. Since then, she has appeared in four editions of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, most recently in 2007. She is the hostess of the reality-show Brazil`s Next Top Model, the Brazilian version of the show, created by Tyra Banks.