Adriana Lima

Background

Adriana Lima is a Brazilian model and actress whose talents have set her apart in both niches. She’s a Gemini, born on June 12, 1981, and her birthplace is Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Lima is multi-racial, and she is of Portuguese, Native Brazilian, African, Japanese, Swiss, and West Indian descent. Her parents are Nelson Torres and Maria das Gracas Lima. Her father was a carpenter, while her mother was a social worker. After her father left the family when she was six months, she was raised by her mother in the Castelo Branco neighborhood of Salvador.

Lima’s modeling career began when she entered a modeling contest to support a friend who didn’t want to enter alone. At 15, she finished in first place in Ford’s ‘Supermodel of Brazil’ model search. In 1997, she moved to New York City and signed with Elite Model Management. In the same year, she made her runway debut at Anna Sui’s New York Fashion Week show. Since then, Lima has walked the runway for countless designers from Fendi to Vera Wang, Christian Dior, Miu Miu, and more. In 1998, she was on her first magazine cover for “Marie Claire Brazil,” became a Victoria’s Secret Angel by 1999, and by 2000, she got her first “Vogue” cover.

Aside from runway modeling and being a cover girl for magazines like “GQ,” “ELLE,” “Harper’s Bazaar,” and “Garage,” Lima made her acting debut in “The Follow” (2001). In 2003, she became a spokesmodel for Maybelline, a position she held until 2009. By 2006, Lima was ranked as the fifth-highest-paid model, and this position ascended to number four between 2007 and 2008. In 2008 she appeared in “Ugly Betty” and in 2012, Lima starred in two Super Bowl commercials in one game at the Super Bowl XLVI, making her the only celebrity to achieve such visibility. Several runway shows, brand ambassadorships, and ads later, Lima became the first pregnant woman to be featured in the “Pirelli” calendar. In 2014, she was ranked as the second-highest-paid supermodel by “Forbes.”

Lima returned to her role as a Maybelline spokesmodel in 2014 and by 2015, she became the face of “Vogue” eyewear. In November 2018, Lima walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for the final time after 18 catwalks for the brand. Before this, she hosted and executive produced “American Beauty Stars,” which aired in September 2017. The supermodel and actress has had a very successful career so far. Her personal life may not be as public as her professional one but Lima dated Lenny Kravitz from 2001 to 2003, and they got engaged before splitting up. She married Marko Jaric in 2009, and they had two daughters before their divorce was finalized in March 2016. She is currently dating Andre Lemmers, and they are expecting their first child together.