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Dayanara Torres has had a career in entertainment and altruism throughout the majority of her life. Born in Puerto Rico, Dayanara has made a career out of acting, modeling, singing, participating in beauty pageants, and even writing. But perhaps the highlight of her work has been her altruism; during and after her reign as Miss Universe, Dayanara was an ambassador for UNICEF and traveled through Asia and Latin America to represent and support the organization. She then created the Dayanara Torres Foundation with the purpose of educating Puerto Rican and Philippine kids who didn’t have access to better schools.
Before all of the titles and fame, Dayanara’s career started with modeling. She memorably won Miss Universe while being only 18 years old. Dayanara spent five years in the Philippines and became a local celebrity. She learned the language and was offered several acting positions in films and television series. Upon her return to Puerto Rico, she released her record Antifaz, which topped the Billboard charts in Latin America and the Philippines. She starred in the film “Linda Sara,” where she was paired with Chayanne, the Puerto Rican singer, and icon. She continued her acting career, expanding into the U.S. market and starring in the American Soap Opera “The Young and the Restless.”
Following her split with Marc Anthony, with whom she was married for four years, she published her book “Married to Me: How Committing to Myself Led to Triumph After my Divorce.” The couple when through several ups and downs, splitting up and reuniting until they finally separated in 2004. They have two children together, Cristian Anthony and Ryan Anthony.
To this day, Dayanara remains a celebrity and icon. She’s known for overcoming her adversities, battling a rocky marriage, divorce, and defeating skin cancer. More recently, she’s made appearances in “Mira Quien Baila” and we can’t wait to see more of her.