Much like her famous mom, Lourdes Leon can't be defined in a single word. She is a model,
business owner — even a singer! Here's how Madonna's eldest daughter went from
a college classroom in Michigan to the fashion runways of Paris.
On October 14, 1996, Madonna gave birth to Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon at Good
Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. Lourdes' father, Carlos Manuel Leon,
met Madonna while she was jogging in New York's Central Park. Leon was
working as a personal trainer at the time. He was also just 30 years old,
making him several years younger than Madonna. But their romantic relationship didn't last very long.
"I've been married before. It's not what it's cracked up to be."
Soon after their split, however,
Madonna and Leon were able to successfully co-parent their daughter Lourdes.
Lourdes Leon began making the occasional on-stage appearance with her mom starting at a very young
age. At the MTV VMAs in 2003, she appeared as a flower girl at the beginning of Britney Spears
and Christina Aguilera's send-up of "Like a Virgin." Several years later, in 2009, she
showed off her acrobatic skills at the end of her mom's "Celebration" video. Though her on-screen
time in the music video is brief, it's clear Lourdes is beginning to develop her dance chops.
Recently, in a 2021 chat with Interview magazine, Lourdes declared that she enjoys dancing,
but isn't that interested in singing. Lourdes went on to add that she's keeping all of her
options open and is committed to injecting her own aesthetic into
all of the projects she commits to. In 2010, 13-year-old Lourdes and her
mom launched a fashion brand called Material Girl. In a video that features the two of them
discussing their search for the perfect person to rep the brand, Madonna says,
"We're looking for a woman-girl-female-child who
embodies a certain je ne sais quoi, a certain spirit, energy, attitude."
Taylor Momsen and Kelly Osbourne eventually did stints as the face of the brand. The
following year, 14-year-old Leon took her next step to mogul status with the
launch of Material Girl Beauty for Macy's. Lourdes told Teen Vogue:
"I love everything that has to do with beauty! It's always fun to get
made up for a party, and it makes you feel good."
The line, which consisted of body lotions, body washes, nail polishes
and various makeup items, was sold in brightly colored packaging that had a youthful vibe.
When Lourdes Leon was 16, she was a student at LaGuardia High School in New York along with
actor Timothée Chalamet. A romance between the schoolmates had been speculated about,
but it wasn't until 2013 that it appeared to become official when the couple was spotted
having dinner in SoHo. A cute photo of them walking together began to circulate, and it
seemed pretty clear that Lourdes and Chalamet were an item. A source told Us Weekly at the time,
"Dating is a loose term for it, but yes,
they are teenagers being teenagers, so I guess you can call it that."
In an interview with Vanity Fair several years later, Lourdes confirmed
that the popular actor had been her first romantic relationship, telling the outlet:
"I respect him a lot, we were a little item. My first boyfriend."
Chalamet himself coyly confirmed they had dated,
but refused to go into detail about it when asked by Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM radio show.
"How long did you two date?"
"Next question. I'm out of here." Madonna attended the University of Michigan
on a dance scholarship for a couple of years prior to heading to New York. So when it was time for
Lourdes to go to college, the "Material Girl" singer loved the idea of her daughter following
in her footsteps. Prior to her 2012 Super Bowl performance, Madonna told the NFL network:
"I keep telling her Ann Arbor is an awesome place."
The duo visited the campus twice before Lourdes decided to make it
official. Once enrolled at the University of Michigan, she decided she would pursue
a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater and dance. Lourdes kept a fairly
low profile during her four years at the university. In an interview with Vogue,
she fondly recalled a life-changing experience she had while in college. Lourdes told outlet:
"A teacher of mine made me understand movement in a whole new way. You're using your body to
define the space around you — to change it. That's a very naked form of expression."
In a talk with Interview magazine, Lourdes had this to say about her distaste for Instagram:
"It's the biggest lie of all time. People create personas on Instagram that are nothing like
who they are in person, and it's the scariest thing to me, because I'm the same everywhere."
Despite her less than glowing opinion of it, Lourdes finally created an Instagram
profile in 2021. Her first couple of posts were dedicated to campaigns she did with
Juicy Couture and Stella McCartney. Fans who were excited about her arrival began to comment and,
much to their surprise, Lourdes responded with aggression and lots of foul language.
One of the less expletive-laden interactions went as follows,
"Hey queen[,] we're waiting for your singing debut."
Lourdes then responded,
"I'll sing at your funeral."
Lourdes's comments, which have since been deleted, were met with various responses,
including one person who was excited to share her nasty reply with his friends.
In a 2021 interview with Vogue, Lourdes had this to say about her privileged upbringing:
"People think I'm this talentless rich kid who's had everything given to her, but I'm not."
Along with several other models, Lourdes appeared on the September 2021 issue of Vogue magazine. In
addition to Lourdes, the cover and accompanying article featured models Kaia Gerber, Bella Hadid,
Anok Yai, Yumi Nu, and Precious Lee. The piece, which was aimed at embracing new
standards of modern, inclusive beauty, also included the experiences of Ariel Nicholson.
Nicholson was the first openly transgender model to appear on the cover of Vogue.
Since taking up modeling, Lourdes has been involved with several campaigns and
made appearances on the catwalk for top fashion designers. She walked her first runway in 2018 and
has since participated in campaigns for Swarovski, Burberry, and Miu Miu, to name just a few.
Lourdes Leon is forging her own creative path,
but still values her mom's input. She told Interview magazine:
"[My mom's] very much like, 'Proceed with caution and think about what you want to be known for."
Like her mom, Lourdes marches to the beat of her own drum. Though currently focused
on her modeling career, she doesn't rule out the idea of taking on other challenges,
including her wish to play Mother Teresa in a movie. Madonna told Vogue:
"[My daughter] is insanely talented. I'm green with envy because she's
incredible at everything she does — she's an incredible dancer, she's a great actress,
she plays the piano beautifully, she's way better than me in the talent department."
Lourdes Leon lived under a strict set of rules before going to college. As
she said in a discussion with Interview magazine in 2021,
"We don't get any handouts in my family. Obviously, I grew up with extreme privilege.
There's no denying that. But I think my mom saw all these other kids of famous people,
and she was like, 'My kids are not going to be like this.'"
Lourdes then added:
"My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life. I
needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school."
Madonna has also admitted in interviews that she's a bit of a hands-on parent. In 2011,
the singer spoke with Harper's Bazaar during the period when
Lourdes was helping to design the Material Girl clothing line. Madonna told the outlet:
"Well, I say to Lourdes, schoolwork always comes first, so anything that gets in the
way of that falls by the wayside. We put our energy [into] education. [...]
She also said of her eldest,
She loves fashion and style. She helps design the
collection. I just stand in the background and watch."
Lourdes Leon took a page out of her famous mother's book and officially stepped into
music in 2022 with the release of her first single, "Lock&Key". It should be noted that
Madonna's oldest daughter initially admitted to The Cut that she had no plans to release music.
However, after she played an older song for a friend, one thing led to another. Before long,
Lourdes found herself getting ready to release a whole EP. Madonna had nothing
but praise for her daughter following the release of the song, writing on Instagram,
"I am so proud of you, Lola!"
In January 2023, Lourdes Leon joined the brand Make Up For Ever as an ambassador.
The brand announced the news via Instagram, writing in the caption:
"Lola embodies a new and ultra-powerful creative breath, true to @makeupforever's values."
The move was made to time perfectly with the brand's release of new makeup, which included
the HD Skin Liquid Foundation. As noted by People, the partnership is one of many that Lourdes has
made over the years within the fashion and beauty industries. The campaign photos also show off
Leon's tattoos, which include the words "Mom" and "Dad," as well as the butterflies on her chest.
While it's clear that Lourdes Leon is her own person, from time to time she definitely
tosses a nod toward her mother. In February 2023, fans of both Madonna and Lourdes were
thrilled when the latter showed up at the Grammy Awards in a dress that many believed
was a nod to the conical bra that her mother wore on her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour.
"My mom has helped me so much. She, like, pushes great style."
The 2023 Grammys was especially important for the family. Not only was Madonna a presenter at
the awards, she was also fresh off announcing her upcoming tour. This wasn't the first time
that Lourdes had rocked the look, either. While backstage during her mother's MDNA Tour in 2012,
Leon put on the cone bra her mother wore for the performance. A since-deleted photo of Leon
in the ensemble was even tweeted by the Material Girl clothing line that Madonna and Leon shared.