Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Godgeous Actress, Former Miss Universe, Singer Alicia Machado Gallery

Yoseph Alicia Machado Fajardo (born December 6, 1976 in Maracay) is an actress, singer and the fourth woman from Venezuela to capture the Miss Universe crown. Machado won the 1995 Miss Venezuela pageant entering Yaracuy and then the Miss Universe 1996 crown in Las Vegas. The runner-up, Jacqueline Aguilera, also won the Miss World 1995 crown, marking the second time that two Venezuelans from the same pageant won two world titles. Machado's reign came as Donald Trump took ownership of the Miss Universe pageant.

During her reign as Miss Universe, Machado made headlines when it was reported that she gained too much weight and the Miss Universe Organization was considering replacing her with her runner-up, Taryn Mansell of Aruba. In the end, Machado managed to shed some of the weight and retained her title. Donald Trump, however, was less magnanimous. While calling in live on the Howard Stern radio show to promote the 1997 Miss Universe pageant, he called her an "eating machine," which earned her more international fame. She currently lives in Mexico City. On June 25, 2008, Alicia gave birth to her daughter, Dinorah Valentina. She issued a statement that the father of Dinorah was Mexican businessman Rafael Hernandez Linares after Mexican news sources, quoting the Attorney General, reported that the father was Gerardo Álvarez Vázquez, a drug lord.