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Helena Christensen (born December
25, 1968 in Copenhagen) is a Danish fashion model, former Victoria's
Secret Angel, and beauty queen.
Christensen grew up in Denmark. Her father is Danish, and her mother is
Peruvian.
Christensen won the Miss Denmark crown in 1987 at the age of 18, and
represented Denmark in the Miss Universe pageant in 1988 at the age of 19.
She left her home soon afterwards to pursue modeling in Paris.
Christensen appeared on many magazine covers and in fashion campaigns
during the 1990s. She was in the Victoria's Secret catalog and in their
television commercials as one of the signature Angels, along with Tyra
Banks, Karen Mulder, Daniela Pestova, Rebecca Romijn, and Stephanie
Seymour. She also became a spokesmodel for Revlon cosmetics.
In 1991, she starred in the music video for Chris Isaak's song "Wicked
Game". The video was later featured on MTV's "Sexiest Video of All-Time",
voted #4 on VH1's "50 Sexiest Video Moments" and voted #13 on VH1's "100
Greatest Videos".
Christensen is signed to Independent Models in London and 1/One Management
in New York City, 2pm Model Management in Copenhagen.
Christensen has an antiques shop in Manhattan and sells some of her
clothes in her mother's Yo-Yo Second Hand Shop in Christianshavn.
She was a part of Nylon magazine as the original creative director with
American entrepreneur Michael "Mic" Neumann. She has launched her own
clothing line Christensen & Sigersen, with long-term friend Leif Sigersen.
The pair also ran Butik, a shop in New York.
Christensen is also a photographer, and her photos appeared in magazines
such as Marie Claire and ELLE. Her exhibition A Quiet Story, curated by
Jim Cook, premiered in Rotterdam in 2006. Chanel Tokyo's NEXUS Gallery is
scheduled to mount the exhibition in 2010.
Christensen also famously once said, when asked if normal girls would feel
comfortable in her new clothing line, "I don't care. I have no clue. I
don't think about anyone but me." The quote is printed on the back of
Denis Leary's 2008 book, 'Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat,
Loud, Lazy and Stupid.'
Christensen has one child, a son named Mingus Lucien Reedus (born October
13, 1999) with actor Norman Reedus. While maintaining careers in
photography and clothing design, Christensen still remains a hands-on
mother to Mingus. "He's all that matters," she says. "He's my best
friend."
Reedus and Christensen split in 2003. She previously lived with INXS
frontman Michael Hutchence on and off for a period of four years in the
early 1990s, and from 2004 to 2006, Christensen dated Danish rock band
Grand Avenue frontman Rasmus Walter-Hansen. In 2008, Christensen was
romantically linked to Interpol frontman Paul Banks after the two were
seen kissing and Christensen was spotted at several Interpol shows.
Christensen friends include R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe, and U2
frontman Bono. Christensen was a good friend of actor Heath Ledger. She
was heading to his New York apartment on the day that he died, calling
Ledger, only to get his voicemail message.
Christensen lives in Manhattan, and also has apartments in Copenhagen and
Monaco, where her car is a Morris Minor.
Christensen has claimed on several occasions to be a cheese addict,
admitting that: "There've been times when I've bought a whole pound of
cheese and walked down the street and eaten it in one go. I think it's
incredibly sensual." Christensen declares that: "Whenever my head is like
a maze, I turn to the easy things in life, the things that mean the most
to me: Sex and cheese. These things are connected. Truth be told, I love
all cheese: French cheese, Italian cheese, even British cheese, but Danish
cheese is the greatest. I get my best nightmares after I eat Danish
cheese. Actually I've seriously thought about getting a cheese tattoo. A
nice Edam on my shoulder, maybe." |
