Leila
Lopes

She is the first woman from Angola to win, and the fourth African to win the Miss Universe title. “For them to see me, to see that I am black, it was great.” Her measurements are 35-24-35.5 and she is represented by Trump Model Management.

Leila said, “I’m just a normal girl who dreams, who fights for what I believe…I never give up even when people tell me that I can’t do something. But if I believe I can, I really fight for it.”

Before she became a beauty queen, Leila Lopes studied business management at University Campus Suffolk in Ipswich, England. She speaks Portuguese and English and is the oldest daughter of seven children. She cited her family as the source of her strength.

Leila was born during Angola’s twenty-seven Civil War, which “gave her a deep appreciation for life and taught her to make the most of every day” (missuniversespeakers.com).

After winning her title, she said, “I want to show the world that there is more to Africa than poverty, hunger and disease.” She added, “Being Miss Universe is much more than having a sash and a crown. It is about taking pride in my commitment to serving as an ambassador to my country, and to women everywhere.”

Leila Lopes said she has never had cosmetic surgery of any kind and her beauty regime consists of sleep, sunblock and drinking lots of water.

Since her win, Leila Lopes has appeared on the covers of Maxim (Angola), Genevieve (Nigeria), New African Woman (UK), and Selecta (United States.) She has also participated in the Ready to Wear fashion show for Rolando Santana.

In 2012, Russell Simmons called Leila Lopes a “publicity whore” on his Twitter after privately sending her flowers and then later reading about it on Page Six, which means someone close to her, or even Leila herself, leaked the information.

Leila is involved in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS. In her free time, she likes reading and spending time with family and friends. She hopes to open a cosmetic company in Angola in the future.

Leila Lopes recently got engaged to New York Giants player Osi Umemyiora. He popped the quest in Atlanta; the couple plans to wed in 2014.