The Stunning Transformation Of Adriana Lima

Unlike many models, Adriana Lima was not scouted at a fast food restaurant or at a local mall. The beauty actually got her start in the modeling world after she entered a modeling competition and won. And it wasn't long until Lima took the fashion industry by storm. The once-shy young woman soon became one of the most sought after and highest-paid supermodels in the world.

But Adriana Lima is not just a beauty. Besides being able to speak Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and English (via Vogue Italia), she's a hands-on mom to daughters Valentina and Sienna. While the always-humble Lima rose to fame as a stunning Victoria's Secret Angel, it can be argued that she's best known for never being afraid to share her values while encouraging others to do the same. Here's the bold and stunning transformation of Adriana Lima, who went from being a child in Brazil to a world-renowned supermodel.

Adriana Lima always had the modeling trifecta — good looks, the right height, and the perfect build — yet a career in modeling wasn't always her plan. Rather, she had her sights set on becoming a pediatrician. Describing herself as quite the bookworm in her younger years, she told Victoria's Secret in a 2010 video, "I was literally all day into the books — studying, studying, studying non-stop," adding, "I thought I was going to be a pediatrician, and that's what I wanted. I wanted to be a doctor."

And despite wanting to work in medicine with kids, Lima wasn't always a fan of them. When asked if she liked children by GQ in 2006, after dishing on her medical career pursuits, she said she only liked those that were well-behaved. "Not really. Depends. If they act well behaved, yes," she explained. "When they start screaming, I don't like them." But things appeared to have changed later. Speaking to Ocean Drive in 2017, she stated, "I love children. Spending time with them makes me happy."

Unlike many aspiring models, Adriana Lima experienced a fast-moving career very quickly. Her first cover was for an international September issue of Marie Claire in 1998, according to Insider. Two years later, she was on the Vogue Italia September cover for their 20th anniversary issue. The following month, she graced the cover of Vogue Brazil. One of Lima's first notable fashion collaborations was in 2000, when she was named one of the official GUESS? girls. 

And while Lima's career was booming, she was still that young shy girl who was lacking in self-confidence and was facing rejection. "I can't say that when I was younger I was totally confident," she told Byrdie in 2019. "The industry is hard, and when you're an unknown model, you could either get great jobs or be rejected. Rejection is never easy, but you have to have grit in order to keep going and hold your head high."

While Adriana Lima's professional life continued to boom, so did her personal life. She started dating rocker Lenny Kravitz in 2001, as noted by PopSugar. Lima and Kravitz kept much of their romance under wraps and out of the spotlight, though the model made an appearance in the musician's music video for "Yesterday Is Gone (My Dear Kay)." The pair got engaged in 2002.

But unfortunately, their love came to an end. Kravitz later revealed he was suffering from depression during the time that their relationship broke down. In 2004, he told Rolling Stone that he would "lock himself in his hotel room all day and dwell on his flaws" while on tour. He added, "I was engaged to this girl [Adriana], it didn't work out — this was all the same time."

Notably, Kravitz's daughter, actress Zoë Kravitz, is only seven years younger than the model. She recalled the time her dad dated Lima to Elle in 2018, saying, "I was short and brown, surrounded by tall girls with boobs and blonde hair." She added, "And my dad was dating supermodels, so I was waking up to Adriana Lima."

Following her breakups from Lenny Kravitz and Prince Wenzeslaus of Liechtenstein (via Page Six), Adriana Lima found love with NBA star Marko Jaric, and the Minnesota Timberwolves player proposed to the Victoria's Secret Angel after about nine months of dating. "He asked and she said yes. They are both incredibly happy and couldn't be more in love," the basketball player's publicist told People at the time. The proposal took place on Lima's 27 birthday in 2008.

The happy couple, who met through a mutual friend in Los Angeles, went on to marry on Valentine's Day in 2009, as reported by The Cut.

In 2013, Lima gushed about her husband, saying she was most attracted to his brains and humor. "He's smart, and he makes me laugh. He's very funny, and he's very athletic," she told HuffPost. In 2009, the pair welcomed their first daughter, Valentina. In 2012, Lima gave birth to daughter Sienna.

In 2012, Adriana Lima had everybody talking. The Angel opened the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show less than eight weeks after giving birth to her second daughter, Sienna.

To get in shape, Lima worked closely with her trainer, Michael Olajide, Jr. "Her work ethic is out of control! When she gets in her mind she wants to get something done, she does it," he told Shape. Olajide added that she endured 14 sessions a week for her results. "We only had five weeks to do it, so we were working out twice a day, seven days a week, for two to three hours per session." The workouts would reportedly start at 9 a.m. and finish around midday. Lima then returned to the gym around 5:30 p.m. for a few more hours. 

Clearly, Adriana Lima isn't afraid of hard work!

Adriana Lima was named the "Most Valuable Angel" in 2017. According to InStyle, analytics company D'Marie had looked into factors such as social media likes, followers, sale conversions, and engagement to come up with their results. At that time, the model was one of the longest-running Victoria's Secret Angels walking the show along with Alessandra Ambrosio. The other top five most valuable angels included Alessandra, Taylor Hill, Josephine Skriver, and Lily Aldridge.

By 2017, Lima was at the pinnacle of her career in terms of earning, as noted by Forbes' list of the highest-paid models, having snagged runway and campaign gigs. She took home $10.5 million in 2017, landing in the fourth spot behind Chrissy Teigen, Gisele Bündchen, and Kendall Jenner.

Curious as to how much she's worth? Lima is estimated to have a net worth of $95 million, as of this writing, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Adriana Lima loves fashion, but she hasn't limited herself to sporting clothes other people designed. She's also branched out to creating her own clothing. In 2019, she launched an activewear line in collaboration with PUMA. She told Hollywood Life that it was her goal with the line to make activewear that was gorgeous while also functional. "I need to feel sexy in it," she said.

In 2020, Lima came out with a sunglasses line with Privé Revaux and announced that she had big plans for other lines that branch out beyond clothing and accessories. In an interview with Women's Wear Daily (via Fashion), Lima revealed that she also had plans to launch a lingerie line, a skincare line, and perhaps eventually "apparel and shoes or jewelry."

Branching out is about more than just exploring a love for design. As Lima explained to Refinery29, she wants to be seen as more than "just a pretty face." Instead, she wants to be remembered for her work ethic and her kindness, as well as for being "a good businesswoman."