Biography

Had a six-year romance with Brazilian soccer legend Pelé (1980-1986); they met a modeling assignment that paired them for a magazine cover.

Considered ending her career after a fire generated by a short circuit interrupted a shoot of the Brazilian version of her Spanish show Xuxa Park (1994). Some of the children present were injured, but Xuxa escaped unharmed.

Has stated in interviews that, after she met Michael Jackson, he proposed to her and his manager actually wanted her to carry his children; she was uncomfortable and declined.

In the 1980s, shortly after her work for children started, Pelé reportedly collected every sensual photograph that he found of hers from her time as a model and gave them to Xuxa, mentioning that she should be careful with her new career.

Her nickname Xuxa is pronounced "Shoo-sha".

[on her professional and personal breakup with Marlene Mattos] I lived in a easy and protected world. But without Marlene, the "Barbie" here now speaks by herself.

[on Ayrton Senna] If that soul mate term really exists, mine was there in front of me. Some day we'll meet once again.

[on children] If you wanna make me happy, let me be so among children.

[at the press conference that announced her a Rede Record' newest cast member] When I was getting ready to come here, I was thinking, 'It's really hard, ain't it? To say that now I'm at Record [TV]. So many years unable to even say its name. [After] 29 years at Globo, it's hard. Now after I walked through there and saw the [Record's] emblem I thought, 'man, I'm really at Record now'.

[on Xuxa (1993)] "When I got here, the first day, I was freaking out. English is difficult. They have nicknamed me 'But why,' because I keep asking about the rules of the language."