How the former Miss USSR became the wife of a famous tennis player
'16.08.2018'
Source: TVNZ
Three weeks ago, 58-year-old tennis player Martina Navratilova and former Miss USSR 42-year-old Julia Lemigova officially married. About how the athlete feels in the status of "young husband," Martina has already told the press. And now Julia has opened up about her family life.
Former beauty queen, now the owner of a cosmetics company in Paris, gave an interview Komsomolskaya Pravdain which she spoke about her feelings for Martin, as well as about how the athlete's relationship with her daughters Lemigova. Yulia admitted: she had a serious conversation with the girls, during which she announced to her daughters that Navratilova is now their second mother.
According to Yulia, she didn’t even suspect about same-sex relationships until she became an adult.
- I grew up in the USSR, and I didn't even know that such a thing existed, - the Daily Mail quotes Lemigova, - Nobody talked about it. I was 17-18 years old when I got to London, and only then I learned that there is same-sex love.
Navratilova and Lemigova met in Paris, and, according to Yulia, they were very much brought together by their Slavic roots.
“I first met Martina 14 years ago in Paris at a dinner,” she recalls. - I worked as a model, met with many celebrities. I'm not a tennis fan, but of course I knew who she was and we immediately started chatting. I believe that our Eastern European roots brought us very close. We had so much in common. She was very funny, we laughed a lot.
By the way, Lemigova flatly refuses to answer the question of whether she had the experience of same-sex relationships before meeting Navratilova. Moreover, before meeting tennis player Yulia, she repeatedly rooted with men. The loud love story of Lemigova and the French banker Edouard Stern, heir to the famous banker family and close friend of Nicolas Sarkozy, is known throughout Europe. Julia gave birth to a millionaire son, but the boy died suddenly at the age of five months. His death was mysterious and unexpected, the investigation of this case is still ongoing. Later, Stern was found dead in his mansion - a banker dressed in a pink latex suit was shot during erotic pleasures by his next mistress, whom he refused to marry.
By the time of the next meeting with Navratilova, Lemigova already had two daughters - from unsuccessful romances with two different men. Emma is now 8 years old, Victoria is 13, who their fathers, Julia does not disclose.
“We saw each other again eight years after we met in a restaurant in Paris,” says Julia. - I had a full tray of food. I introduced Martina to my daughters. We had lunch, and then I suddenly thought, "I would like to see her again."
Julia insists that their relationship was initially platonic.
- We met, she played tennis with girls. Feelings grew gradually. Then my daughters and I went to Miami to visit Martina's mansion.
While the girls were small, Julia did not have to explain anything to them - they simply did not ask questions. The girls saw that their mother was happy. According to Yulia, they adored Martin almost from their first meeting. “They played tennis together, did homework, she cooked for them. They called her Marty - short for Martin. ”
But once the eldest Victoria began to tease at school - in France gay marriage was then forbidden. My daughter returned home very upset and began to ask her mother who Martin was for her.
“We sat down and I talked to her. Said, "Martina is the person I love."
At first, the girl was shocked by the recognition of her mother, especially when she said: “I cannot live without Martina”. It was then that Lemigova told her daughters that she would like to live with Navratilova, who would be their second mom. The conversation was not easy, but in the end, the eldest daughter of Julia said: "I also want Martina to live with us."
After six years of marriage, Navratilova and Lemigova got married. Now, after the wedding, the couple permanently lives in Florida, but Julia continues to travel frequently to Paris, where she has a cosmetic business. Between themselves, Martina and Julia speak English, at one time they tried to speak Czech and Russian, but abandoned the idea. The daughters of Lemigova, who grew up in France, chat in French. But with mom they speak Russian.
- I read to myself that my father was a KGB colonel, - Lemigova comments. “But it’s not so. He really was a colonel, but he was an engineer, he served in the aviation. I received a good education, we often went with my parents to the Bolshoi Theater.
Since Yulia Lemigova won the title “Miss USSR” in 1990 at the age of 19 years, her life has changed dramatically, turning into a real soap opera. Lively participation in the fate and model career of the girl took falling in love with her director Alexander Stephanovich - the former husband of Alla Pugacheva. In 1991, Yulia represented our country at the Miss Universe contest, eventually winning third place and the title of Vice Miss. Lemigova is fluent in English, Italian and French. After completing management courses at a university in Paris, Julia opened her own Jolya Spa and White Russia cosmetic company in the French capital.
Recall, the Czech athlete married a Russian woman 15 in December last year. The details of the marriage are kept secret - it is only known that Navratilova and Lemigova signed in New York, because same-sex marriages are officially allowed here. The famous Hollywood actress Brooke Shields was a witness at the couple's wedding. Earlier, the athlete said that he and Julia would like to get married in Florida, where they live now. However, state laws do not allow this. The couple hoped that during the year the situation would change, but it did not wait for amendments.
Navratilova made an offer to Lemigova 6 September 2014, after the semi-final match of the US Open, in which Kei Nisikori sensationally defeated Novak Djokovic. The athlete with all was on one knee in front of her friend and made her an offer. The moment when Martina put her partner on the finger ring, broadcast on a giant screen. Later, Julia showed a ring to photographers who shot the tournament.
