Julia Lemigova
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Born |
Yulia Alexandrovna Lemigova 20 June 1972 Soviet Union |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Businesswoman, socialite |
| Title(s) | Miss USSR 1990 |
| Major competition(s) |
Miss USSR 1990 (Winner) Miss Universe 1991 (2nd runner-up) |
| Spouse | Martina Navratilova |
| Children | 3 (1 deceased) |
Julia Lemigova (Russian: Юлия Александровна Лемигова; born 20 June 1972) is a Russian businesswoman and former model who was Miss USSR 1990.
Career
Julia Lemigova is the daughter of a Red Army colonel.[1]
She represented the Soviet Union at the Miss Universe 1991 pageant, where she placed 2nd runner-up.[2][3][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
Lemigova moved to Western Europe after being crowned Miss USSR, eventually basing herself in Paris, where she opened her first well-being center, Joiya spa, in 2003, and launched a skincare and spa line, Russie Blanche, in 2009.[5][6]
Private life
In 1997, Lemigova became romantically linked to wealthy French banker Édouard Stern. In 1999 she gave birth to a baby son Maximilien, who became the subject of a paternity dispute between Lemigova and Stern, and who died of a brain injury before he was six months old. The child had been in Stern's care at the time. Diazepam was also found in the baby's blood. The nanny he had hired disappeared. In 2005, Stern was found shot dead in his Geneva flat, having been murdered by his mistress during a bondage session.[3][1]
Since 2009, Lemigova has been romantically linked to tennis player Martina Navratilova. In September 2014, Navratilova proposed to Lemigova during the US Open tournament in New York City.[3][6] They married in New York on 15 December 2014.[7]
Lemigova has two daughters from a previous marriage.[3]
Notes
- ↑ Lemigova was actually runner-up at the Miss USSR 1990 pageant, but was later promoted following the disqualification of the winner Maria Kezha.[2]
- ↑ Some media claim that Lemigova was the last Miss USSR before the breakup of the Soviet Union. This is not correct as Ilmira Shamsutdinova was crowned Miss USSR 1991.[4]
References
- 1 2 Tom Leonard (12 September 2014). "Meet the future Mrs Navratilova, the beauty queen with a VERY ugly past: Her millionaire boyfriend was shot dead by a prostitute and her baby's tragic death is still unexplained". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- 1 2 Навратилова создаст семью с участницей конкурса «Мисс Вселенная» от СССР. sport.rbc.ru (in Russian). 7 September 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 Meet the future Mrs Navratilova, the beauty queen with a very ugly past.. dailymail.co.uk, 12 September 2014
- ↑ MISS USSR at pageantopolis.com, accessed 26 September 2014
- ↑ "Founder". Russieblanche.com. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- 1 2 David Leigh; David Pilditch (25 August 2009). "Tennis legend Martina and the Russian beauty". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- ↑ "Martina Navratilova Marries Julia Lemigova In New York". huffingtonpost.com. 16 December 2014.