Zuleyka Rivera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zuleyka Rivera
Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006
Born	Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza (1987-10-03) October 3, 1987 (age 37) Cayey, Puerto Rico
Occupation	Actress TV host Dancer Model Beauty Queen
Years active	2006–present
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Title	Miss Salinas Teen 2002 Miss Salinas Universe 2006 Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 Miss Universe 2006
Children	1
Beauty pageant titleholder
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Major competition(s)	Miss Puerto Rico Teen 2002 (1st Runner-up) Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 (Winner) Miss Universe 2006 (Winner)

Zuleyka Jerrís Rivera Mendoza (born October 3, 1987) is a famous person from Puerto Rico. She is an actress, TV host, dancer, and model. She is also a beauty queen who won the Miss Universe 2006 title. Before that, she was crowned Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006. Zuleyka started acting in TV shows called telenovelas in 2007. She has been in many popular shows since then. In 2017, she became even more famous when she appeared in the music video for the song "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi.

Early Life and Pageant Beginnings

Zuleyka Rivera was born in Cayey. She grew up in Salinas with her parents, Jerry Rivera and Carmen Mendoza. She has two brothers, Jerry Jr. and Jose.

Before she became Miss Puerto Rico, Zuleyka won a local beauty contest in her hometown of Salinas. She also placed as the first runner-up in the Miss Teen Puerto Rico pageant. Zuleyka was only eighteen years old when she won the Miss Universe title. This made her one of the youngest women ever to win the crown.

Becoming a Beauty Queen

Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006

Zuleyka represented her hometown of Salinas in the Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006 pageant. This event took place on November 10, 2005. She won the competition and was crowned by the previous winner, Cynthia Olavarría. Zuleyka was the second woman with a mixed heritage look to win the Miss Puerto Rico Universe title.

Miss Universe 2006

Zuleyka Rivera then represented Puerto Rico in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant. The show was broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, on July 23, 2006. She competed in swimsuit, evening gown, and interview rounds. In the end, she was crowned Miss Universe by Natalie Glebova from Canada.

Zuleyka Rivera at Miss Universe 2006, where she won the title.

After winning, Zuleyka briefly fainted during a press event. This happened because of the hot stage lights and the heavy dress she was wearing.

Zuleyka was the fifth person from Puerto Rico to win the Miss Universe title. This makes Puerto Rico one of the most successful countries in the pageant's history. Zuleyka was also the third person from Puerto Rico in a row to reach the Top 5 at Miss Universe. She was the first winner from Puerto Rico with noticeable mixed heritage features. The previous winners from Puerto Rico had more European features.

Zuleyka's win came just five years after Denise Quiñones, another Puerto Rican, won the crown. As Miss Universe, Zuleyka represented the Miss Universe Organization around the world. She lived in New York City. She shared an apartment with Tara Conner, who was Miss USA 2006, and Katie Blair, who was Miss Teen USA 2006.

At the Miss Universe 2007 pageant, Zuleyka passed her crown to Riyo Mori from Japan. This event took place in Mexico City, Mexico, on May 28, 2007. Her time as Miss Universe lasted only 10 months, which is one of the shortest reigns in the pageant's history.

Her Time as Miss Universe

After being crowned on July 23, 2006, Zuleyka was interviewed by many news teams. She also arrived at her new home in New York City.

From late July to early August, Zuleyka traveled to Japan. There, she presented an award to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Tokyo. She also did a photo shoot with Kurara Chibana, who was Miss Universe Japan and the first runner-up. They took pictures in San Juan, Puerto Rico and in Tokyo, Japan. Zuleyka also visited Mikimoto, the company that made her beautiful crown.

In late August, Zuleyka went to Indonesia. She attended the opening of a new spa and met with the Minister of Culture. She also went to the Miss Indonesia Universe pageant, where Agni Pratistha was crowned. While in Indonesia, Zuleyka visited the island of Bali. On September 4, 2006, Zuleyka returned to her home in Puerto Rico for a special celebration and parade. The next day, she visited her hometown of Salinas.

By April 2007, Zuleyka had traveled to many countries. These included the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Kazakhstan, India, Mexico, Thailand, and Brazil. She also made many trips around the United States.

On April 1, 2007, Zuleyka appeared at WrestleMania 23. She was there with Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith and Miss Teen USA 2006 Katie Blair. They were supporting Donald Trump in a special wrestling match.

She passed on her crown to Japan's Riyo Mori at the Miss Universe 2007 pageant. This event was held in Mexico City, Mexico, on May 28, 2007.

Acting Career

After her time as Miss Universe ended, Zuleyka Rivera wanted to become an actress. Her first acting role was in the 2007 telenovela Dame Chocolate. She acted alongside Carlos Ponce and Karla Monroig.

In 2010, she was offered a role as a villain named Rocío Lynch in the telenovela Alguien Te Mira. Later that year, she played another villain, Diana del Valle, in Aurora.

Zuleyka took a short break from acting when she was pregnant. She returned to acting in 2012 with a main role in Rosario. In this show, Zuleyka again played a villain named Sandra Díaz. She has said that she is good at playing these kinds of roles. In 2013, Zuleyka announced she would play the main villain in the telenovela Cosita linda.

Rivera also had a small part in the movie Runner, Runner.

Personal Life

From late 2010 to 2013, Zuleyka Rivera dated J. J. Barea. He is a basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks. In July 2011, they announced they were expecting their first child. Zuleyka gave birth to their son, Sebastián José Barea Rivera, in Minnesota on February 18, 2012. J. J. Barea was there for the birth.

In early 2013, people wondered if Zuleyka and J. J. Barea had broken up. She said in an interview that they were still together. However, on April 18, 2013, J. J. Barea said in a statement that their relationship was over. Zuleyka responded with her own statement. She said that she had traveled to Minnesota often, which she considered her home. She added that she gave her best for their happiness, but a relationship needs effort from both people.

In 2018, Zuleyka Rivera became a brand ambassador for Eravos.

Filmography

Films

Television

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Zuleyka Rivera para niños

• List of Puerto Ricans
• History of women in Puerto Rico
• Miss Universe 2006
• Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006