Everything Madonna does generates tons of interest and bold headlines. She has a charismatic, larger-than-life personality that keeps people absolutely riveted, whether she’s dating someone new, offering a buzzed-about opinion, or performing. The Material Girl is an unabashed original.
Her private life has been nearly as fascinating as her career. People are curious about Carlos Leon, who is the father of her daughter Lourdes Leon. Have Madonna and Lourdes stayed close with him over the years? Has he been an attentive dad? Here’s a look at his relationship with both of these ladies.
Lourdes Leon’s Father Is An Actor And Personal Trainer
Carlos began acting after he started dating Madonna. IMDb refers to him as “an accomplished actor.” He has performed on and off Broadway and has appeared in films like The Big Lebowski and TV shows like Oz and the CSI and Law & Order franchises.
Prior to becoming an actor, Carlos was a personal trainer for celebrities. He founded his own fitness studio, Belleon Body, in 2017. Haute Living raved about it, writing, “You may have thought this fitness centric part of the city [New York] had enough boutique studios, but this new addition is just what the neighborhood needed.”
Carlos Leon And Madonna Dated For Three Years
Carlos and Madonna were reportedly an item for three years, from 1994 to 1997. Lourdes was born on October 14, 1996. Dennis Rodman speculated on The Breakfast Club radio program that she offered Leon $20 million to get her pregnant, the same sum he claimed she offered him as well.
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Despite their split, Carlos said he and Madonna have remained friendly in order to effectively co-parent Lourdes. He said on The Billy Bush Show in 2008 via Yahoo that “I have a great relationship with all my ex-girlfriends, but especially Madonna. There was a friendship and there still is a friendship. If she needs to talk to me, I’m there, and if I need to talk to her, she’s there.”
Carlos And Lourdes Are Reportedly Very Close
Carlos doesn’t regret his relationship with Madonna because it gave him his daughter. He stated that fact unequivocally to Hello in 2011. “I got the best thing out of that relationship,” Carlos said, “and that is my daughter. My daughter is everything to me.”
They reportedly talk every day. According to Distractify, “Carlos has been a constant fixture in Lourdes’ life as she has grown up, and it’s even said that the daddy-daughter duo are in daily communication.”
Carlos reportedly has many qualities that make him a great dad. He’s lenient, empathetic and a good listener, but not really a disciplinarian. What Carlos told Hello he often did with Lourdes, especially when she was younger, was find middle ground between what he wanted her to do and what she wanted—not a bad strategy for a parent to use.
Carlos admitted that “she will always be his ‘little girl,’” so it’s understandable if he was kind of a softie when it came to insisting Lourdes adhere to rules. The two like to watch movies together and go for bicycle rides, two pastimes that hint at an easygoing father-daughter relationship.
Because Lourdes is in the fashion industry and seems to have more than a touch of her mom’s independent spirit, she sometimes voices critical opinions about her dad’s outfits. He told Hello that once when he wore flared pants, Lourdes exclaimed, “Oh my God, Dad, those pants are so ugly. Please change your pants.” And he said he did.
Leon Remarried Stylist Betina Holte
After Carlos Leon’s breakup with Madonna, he married Betina Holte on July 13, 2013. Lourdes attended their wedding in Denmark. Their son, Meeka, was born in February 2015.
Although Carlos Leon and Madonna went their separate ways, they have maintained a cordial relationship for the benefit of their daughter. He seems to care about her very much and has been a caring presence in her life since she was a child.
Even though she’s an adult, Lourdes and Carlos still seem to have a close bond that is a big part of both their lives. The fact that she visited her dad’s homeland of Cuba in 2016, according to Vanity Fair, and spent time with his family shows how much Lourdes values her connection with her father.