Julia Perez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julia Perez
Julia Perez - during Dahsyatnya Awards
Born	Yuli Rachmawati (1980-07-15)15 July 1980 Jakarta, Indonesia
Died	10 June 2017(2017-06-10) (aged 36) Jakarta, Indonesia
Other names	Julia Perez, Jupe
Alma mater	Faculty of Law, Bung Karno University
Occupation	Actress and singer
Years active	1997–2017
Spouse(s)	Damien Perez ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2010)​ Gaston Castaño ​ ​ (m. 2013; div. 2016)​

Yuli Rachmawati (born 15 July 1980 – died 10 June 2017), known as Julia Perez or Jupe, was a famous Indonesian singer and actress. She was well-known for her Dangdut music. In the early 2010s, she also became known for speaking her mind.

In 2014, she shared that she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Sadly, by 2016, the cancer had become more serious, and she passed away in June 2017.

Biography

Julia Perez was born Yuli Rachmawati in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 15 July 1980. She was the oldest child of Sri Wulansih and Angkasa Djaya. Her father played football, and her mother played women's football. Julia's family had roots from the Sunda and Betawi groups.

Her parents divorced when Julia was young, around 1988. Her mother worked hard to support the family. Later, her mother married Sakib ‘Sammy’ Mahri, who owned a welding business.

After high school, Julia studied at a secretarial academy in Jakarta. A friend helped her with tuition. She then worked for a furniture company run by a Dutch person. She started dating the owner's son and moved to the Netherlands for three years. There, she learned Dutch and worked as a secretary.

While on holiday in Spain, Julia met Damien Perez, a French model. They got married in France on 7 October 2002. They did not have children. Julia later said she wanted to focus on her career first. In 2009, she became close to Gaston Castaño, an Argentine soccer player in Indonesia. Julia and Damien divorced in 2010.

In 2013, Julia and Gaston announced they were getting married. They had a quiet wedding in Sydney, Australia, on 26 September 2013. They kept it a secret from the Indonesian media. Julia's mother had not wanted her to marry a football player. On 12 May 2016, a court granted Julia a divorce from Gaston.

Julia's biological father, Angkasa Jaya, passed away in December 2013. In 2015, Julia Perez earned her Bachelor of Law degree from Universitas Bung Karno.

Career

Julia started her career as a secretary in Jakarta before moving to the Netherlands for more secretarial work. Her relationship with Damien Perez helped her get modeling jobs for magazines in France.

Around 2002, she came back to Indonesia for a holiday. She went with her younger sister to an audition for a TV show. The director ended up choosing Julia instead, and that's how she started her acting career. She appeared in comedy shows and gained fame by starring in an Indonesian TV show similar to Baywatch, where she played a lifeguard.

Julia Perez at an awards show.

She then acted in many local TV shows, variety shows, and horror movies. She also became a very popular dangdut singer. Her first music album, released in 2008, caused some upset among certain groups, and she was not allowed to perform in some cities. For example, in 2008, she was banned from performing at an Independence Day concert in Pekanbaru.

In 2012, Julia Perez started her own fast-food restaurant chain called Jupe Fried Chicken (JFC).

Politics

In March 2010, Julia Perez told reporters that several political parties had asked her to run for a local leadership position in Pacitan, East Java. She had never even visited Pacitan before. Her possible candidacy made some people wonder if political parties were choosing famous people over those with political experience. However, her supporters said that because she was new to politics and spoke her mind, she would be a good choice. In August 2010, Julia announced she decided not to run in the election.

Before Indonesia's 2014 presidential election, Julia publicly joked about marrying one of the candidates, Prabowo Subianto. She tweeted that she was ready to marry him if he needed a wife to be president. Prabowo thanked her on Twitter. Julia later said her offer was a joke and that she was neutral in the election. However, she later decided to support the other candidate, Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.

Before Jakarta's 2017 governor election, Julia supported the current governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok. She had first thought Ahok seemed tough, but after meeting him, she found him warm and friendly. She praised his work to improve Jakarta, like helping with floods and traffic. She also admired his honesty.

Other Activities

In 2006, Julia became an ambassador for the All Indonesia Chess Association. They even held a chess tournament named after her in Jakarta.

In 2010, Julia started the Champions Soccer School (CSS) in Jakarta. Her goal was to help Indonesian children become better at football by offering special training from coaches from Argentina and Chile. She said she started the school because she loved football, not to make money. She remembered playing football with her family when she was a child. The school offered training clinics in different parts of Jakarta. The first group of 14 students received free training. Later students, usually aged 10 to 13, paid a fee for a 10-week course. Former students remember Jupe often watching their training and encouraging them.

Julia Perez also worked as the manager for Indonesia's Team Garuda at an international boxing tournament in Jakarta in 2011. She believed her presence helped the team perform better.

One Million Followers

On 7 August 2012, Julia Perez did a pole dance at a traffic light in Jakarta. She did this to keep a promise she made after reaching one million followers on Twitter. She was careful not to wear anything too revealing because it was during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.

Illness and Death

In October 2014, Julia Perez shared that she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer seven months earlier. She later clarified it was an early stage. She traveled to Singapore for treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. In January 2015, she announced she had fully recovered and was ready to return to work. In April 2016, she shaved her head in public to show support for other cancer patients, especially women.

However, despite her treatment, the cancer spread, reaching a more advanced stage by December 2016. In 2017, Julia was being treated at a hospital in Jakarta. Friends and supporters helped her with her medical bills, as the treatments were very expensive. Among those who helped was Jakarta's former governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who visited her and told her not to worry about the costs.

Julia Perez sadly passed away from cervical cancer on 10 June 2017.

Filmography

Film

Television

Soundtrack Albums

Awards

In 2013, Julia received three awards for her acting:

• Honorable Best Actress for Gending Sriwijaya film at the Bandung Film Festival 2013
• Chosen Best Actress at the Maya Cup 2013
• Best Female Actress for Gending Sriwijaya film at the Royal Bali Film Festival