Christy Turlington

Christy Turlington is an American model, filmmaker and charity creator. She began her modelling career when she was only 14, in the year 1984. Within three years, Turlington had starred in a music video featuring one of the world’s hottest pop groups (Duran Duran), found representation with Ford Models (the world’s largest modeling agency) and appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine.

She was born on January 2, 1969 in Walnut Creek, California, the daughter of an airlines pilot and a flight attendant. “Christy was always the best traveler,” said fashion photographer Arthur Elgort. “Her father was a pilot and her mother was a stewardess, so we used to laugh that she ‘flies well.’ We’d say, ‘No wonder she loves it. It’s in her genes.’ ” (1)

Her middle name is Nicole, and her star sign is Capricorn.

Christy Turlington – Her Politics

She is a Democrat. She voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. She also said that she was “a fan” of then-Senator Hillary Clinton. “I think she’s a powerful woman,” Christy said. (2)

Christy Turlington – Her Relationships

Turlington married Edward Burns, an actor and director, in June 2003. They had been first introduced in 2000, dated and became engaged, but then broke up in 2002. Months later the two reunited and Turlington became pregnant with their first child.

She is the mother of two children: Grace (born 2003) and Finn (born 2006).

Turlington is the middle child of three girls. One of Christy’s sisters, Kelly, is married to her husband’s brother, Brian.

Christy Turlington – Her Religion

Turlington was raised as a Roman Catholic, and she remains one today. (3)

“I grew up Catholic. My mother is from El Salvador, so my family on her side is Roman Catholic,” Christy explains. “My father is Protestant, and while he was spiritual, he wasn’t much of a churchgoing person. I think it’s fairly common for families to be brought up in the mother’s religion. We were all–my sisters and I–baptized Catholic, went to catechism classes, received Communion, and went to church fairly regularly until we were 12-ish.”

Christy Turlington – Yoga & Meditation

When she was 18 a friend introduced her to yoga. Christy initially began with a form of yoga called kundalini, but now practices ashtanga yoga.

“Yoga is a spiritual practice that has incredible physical benefits. I look at it as a lifestyle, a way of living that connects me to me. You know, the word ‘yoga’ means union. It’s like everything in Yoga yokes or unites you to something higher, the highest part of yourself,” Turlington says. (3)

Christy Turlington – Her Charities

The model has set up Every Woman Counts, a non-profit devoted to advocating for safer childbirth for mothers in developing countries. Turlington hatched the idea for her charity after a near-fatal incident after giving birth to her second child. (4)

“There are a lot of women like myself who endured a childbirth-related complication but some of those women don’t recover from those complications,” she said.

Christy Turlington – Trivia & Miscellaneous Facts

She began to smoke heavily when she was a teenager, developing a pack-a-day habit. Christy gave up the habit after her father was diagnosed with lung cancer. Unfortunately he passed away from the disease.

She is an enthusiastic runner. She normally jogs 4-5 miles a day and participates in many marathons.

Along with Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford, Turlington is considered one of the supermodels of the 1990s. The quartet of models all appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” music video.

Sources:

1: The Wall Street Journal

2: The Hill

3: Beliefnet

4: ABC News

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