Cristina Saralegui

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Cristina Saralegui (born January 29, 1948 in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban American journalist, actress and talk show host, well-known for hosting the Spanish-language eponymous show Cristina.

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[edit] Early life and journalism career

Following Fidel Castro's rise to power in Cuba, Saralegui fled with her family to Miami in 1960 at the age of 13. Saralegui and her family lived on Key Biscayne, where she also attended school. After graduating from Academy of the Assumption in 1966, Saralegui was a student at the University of Miami. She then received an internship with the popular magazine Vanidades in 1973. In this job, Saralegui had to teach herself to write Spanish, as she had nearly all of her formal schooling in the United States and only functioned in Spanish at a verbal level. Saralegui eventually worked her way up to editor of the Spanish version of Cosmopolitan magazine in 1979. She led Spanish Cosmopolitan through most of the 1980s.

[edit] El Show de Cristina

In 1989, Saralegui decided to transfer her journalism success to television, launching a Miami-based Spanish-language talk show, El Show de Cristina (The Cristina Show), to Univisión.

During the 1990s, Saralegui's show increased in popularity. Prominent guests included Don Francisco, the former members of Menudo, Selena, Celia Cruz, Thalía, Julio Iglesias, Alejandro Fernández, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Sussan Taunton, Jorge Ramos, Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio Estefan, Jr., Gloria Trevi, Chayanne, Ricky Martin, Niurka, Noelia, Anaís, RBD,George Lopez Jennifer Lopez, Amelia Vega, Angelica Vale, Angelica Maria and others. In one of her most widely viewed shows, she put Edgardo Díaz face-to-face with one of the former members of Menudo, Ralphy Rodríguez, so they could confront each other over allegations of abuse that Rodríguez had made against Díaz. On another show, Trevi spent a large amount of time weeping as she spoke about her life.

Saralegui went on to publish her own magazine, Cristina: La Revista (Cristina: The Magazine), and several books. She is often referred to as "the Spanish Oprah".

She also had a short lived English-language talk show in the mid-1990s under the title "Cristina".

[edit] Acting career

Saralegui debuted as an actress on The Taina Show with Ernesto Espinoza. In 2001, she began a recurring role as tía (aunt) Cristina Lopez on the American soap opera Passions. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard, in commemoration of her television and acting achievements.

Saralegui is married to Marcos Avila, a former member of the Miami Sound Machine music band.


[edit] Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 George Lopez (TV series) Lydia 2 episodes:George Has Two Mommies & Would You Like a Drumstick or a Kidney?

[edit] External links

Languages