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. She represented the Soviet Union at the Miss Universe 1991 pageant, where she placed 2nd runner-up.[1][2][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
After being crowned Miss USSR, Lemigova moved to Western Europe, eventually basing herself in Paris, where she set up a cosmetics firm, Russie Blanche (White Russia), and opened the Joiya spa.[4]
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. The nanny he had hired disappeared. In 2005, Stern was found shot dead in his Geneva flat, having been murdered by a prostitute during a bondage session.[2]
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.[2][4] They married on 15 December 2014.[5]
Lemigova has two daughters from previous marriage.[2]
Notes
- ↑ Lemigova was actually runner-up at the Miss USSR 1990 pageant, but was later promoted following the disqualification of the winner Maria Kezha.[1]
- ↑ 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.[3]
References
- 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
- 1 2 Tennis legend Martina and the Russian beauty express.co.uk, 25 August 2009
- ↑ "Martina Navratilova Marries Julia Lemigova In New York". huffingtonpost.com. 16 December 2014.
External links
- Profile at russieblanche.com