Biography
Who is Xuxa?
Early life and real name
Maria da Graça Meneghel was born in Santa Rosa, Brazil. Her parents were Alda and Luís Floriano Meneghel. She has ancestors from Italy, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, and Portugal. Her great-grandfather came from the town of Imer in Italy around the end of the 19th century. She obtained Italian citizenship in 2013.
Her father promised to name her after the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her brother Bladimir gave her the nickname Xuxa when she was a baby. She officially changed her name to Maria da Graça Xuxa Meneghel in 1988. She lived in the Bento Ribeiro area of Rio de Janeiro after moving there at age seven.
Modeling and early TV work
A modeling agency found her when she was 15. She began working as a professional model at 16. Xuxa worked in the United States and Brazil. She appeared in fashion magazines and Playboy. Ford Models hired her in 1984.
She entered television at Rede Manchete. She hosted a show called Clube da Criança. During this time, she modeled in New York during the week. She filmed her show in Rio de Janeiro on weekends. This work led to an offer from Rede Globo in 1986.
Television and music success
She started Xou da Xuxa on June 30, 1986. The show ran for 2,000 episodes until December 31, 1992. She appeared on a pink ship and used bright lipstick to kiss children. She promoted messages against drugs.
She hosted other programs like Bobeou Dançou from July to December 1989. This show was for adolescents and used riddles. She also hosted Paradão da Xuxa in 1992. This program featured different musical groups and lasted three hours.
International career and records
Her music career began with the album Xou da Xuxa. It sold over 2.6 million copies. She released Xou da Xuxa 2 and 3. The third album is the best selling record in Brazil. She sold more copies than Roberto Carlos in 1986. Som Livre gave her an award in 2025 for 28 million Brazilian sales.
She expanded her reach to Spanish speaking markets. She released the album Xuxa 1 in Argentina. She hosted El Show de Xuxa for children in 16 Latin American countries. The program also aired on Univision in the United States. New York magazine called her the Latin American Madonna.
Films and personal life
In Spain, she hosted a game show called Xuxa Park on Telecinco. Her album Xuxa 2 reached the top of Spanish charts. In 1990, she starred in the film Lua de Cristal. This movie sold over 4 million tickets. She has a total of 37 million film viewers.
She had relationships with Pelé and Ayrton Senna. She was married to Luciano Szafir and Junno Andrade. She has one daughter named Sasha Meneghel. Forbes listed her as the 37th richest celebrity in 1991. Her net worth was estimated at 100 million dollars in the early 1990s. Other estimates place her worth at 400 million dollars.
Birthday and age
Xuxa was born on March 27, 1963, which makes Xuxa 63 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Xuxa shares the date with 77 other famous people.
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