Biography
Luiza Brunet was born on May 24, 1962, in the heart of Pantanal, in a modest blockhouse surrounded by lush, wild nature. She is the daughter of Luiz da Silva, a farmer from Ceará in northeastern Brazil, and Alzira Botelho da Silva, a homemaker from Rio de Janeiro. Luiza is the second of six children—five girls and one boy. As the granddaughter of an Indigenous woman, she was raised freely, in harmony with the local flora and fauna. Despite growing up in poverty, her childhood was happy. She loved playing with dolls and eagerly awaited her mother's homemade cookies alongside her siblings.
Years later, Luiza's family moved to Itaporã, a rural village in Mato Grosso do Sul, where she began attending public school. At eight, they relocated to Rio de Janeiro, settling in the Inhaúma suburb. Adjusting to city life was challenging for the country girl; neighbors teased her rustic ways, and she felt overwhelmed by modernity. By age 12, Luiza left school to work and support her family. She babysat two boys, did laundry, and cooked for the household. Later, she worked as a packer in a tissue factory. Her beauty, however, brought complications. To escape harassment from a boss, she switched jobs and eventually found work at a boutique. Her striking looks caused her to change jobs twice more for similar reasons.
At 16, Luiza met Gumercindo Brunet from Rio's South Zone, whose surname she would adopt. They married eight months later. After their wedding, she left suburban life to live in Jardim Botânico, an elegant neighborhood home to Rio’s elite. Her modeling career began by chance shortly after the wedding. A friend took her to watch a photo shoot featuring Rose de Primo, a model Luiza admired. Photographer Nilton Ricardo was captivated by Luiza’s beauty and invited her to pose for a book. From that moment, her career took off. However, the demands of her hectic schedule and numerous job offers contributed to the end of her seven-year marriage.
In 1984, Luiza met Armando Fernandez, an Argentine antique dealer, and they remain married. On June 6, 1988, their first daughter, Yasmin, was born. Luiza chose to forgo babysitters to devote herself fully to her child. Coming from a large family, she had always dreamed of having many children. However, her modeling and later business pursuits delayed that dream until ten years later, when she became pregnant again at 36.
Luiza's second pregnancy was calm and healthy. She gained only 17 pounds and received compliments on her beauty until the ninth month. Then came a frightening moment. Little Antônio was born two weeks early in São Paulo, where she was working. Delivered via cesarean section, he initially struggled to breathe and was immediately placed in an incubator. Fortunately, Antônio recovered within two days.
