30 Noteworthy Facts Every Fan Should Know About Xuxa Menghel

Maria da Graça Meneghel, world renowned by her nickname Xuxa, is known for her epithet, "Queen of the Shorties." As a Brazilian television presenter, film actress, singer, and businesswoman, she continues to be among Brazil's most prominent celebrities. Here are some interesting facts about the actress:

1. She was the first Brazilian to have ever made to the Forbes Magazine's list of richest artists in 1991, at #37 with an annual income of US$19 million.
2. In the year 1990, she was called as "Latin American Madonna" by the New York Magazine, highlighting her success. Since then, she is often referred to as Brazil's answer to Madonna.
3. Meneghel, though not a professional singer by career, has four albums placed among the best-selling list in Brazil. Her most popular album "Xou da Xuxa 3," reached Guiness Book as the number one seller of all time in Brazil.
4. On July 28, 1998, the first 10 minutes of Rede Globo's "Jornal Nacional," was dedicated to her daughter Sasha's birth. Her daughter's birth became the most documented in the history of Brazil, according to magazine Veja.
5. She founded the FXM - Xuxa Meneghel Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic institution, on October 12, 1989, which works with the focus to promote the rights of children and adolescents.
6. In 2001, she won the Latin Grammy Awards of Best Album for Children for her work in "Xuxa Só Para Baixinhos." The said project caused initial controversy among her crew and friends.
7. Meneghel has sold over 50 million records worldwide in the span of her 30-year career, making her the second-highest selling Brazilian female singer after Rita Lee.
8. She gained international recognition for her work, as early as in the 1980s. In the year 1987, she was listed as one of the most remarkable women in the world by the French newspaper Libération.
9. In the 1990s, when her career was at its peak, she was personally invited by the Silvio Santos, owner and host of SBT (Rede Globo's former main rival TV channel). She claimed that Santos knocked on her door with a flower bouquet, to "move house" and go to SBT, which she refused.
10. Even as a businesswoman, she has the highest net worth of any Brazilian female entertainer, estimated at US$1 billion.
    
11. She was discovered by a modeling agency at the age of 15. A year, she began pursuing her career as a model in Brazil as well as United States for both fashion and men's magazines, such as Playboy.
12. Her famous nickname "Xuxa," was actually given by her brother, just as she was bought back home from the hospital after birth. He called her as his Xuxa, and in the year 1998, she officially added it to her name.
13. The world famous Brazilian celebrity Gisele Bündchen has reportedly enjoyed her show "Xou da Xuxa," as a child, who has shared childhood pictures cosplaying the Paquitas.
14. She hosted an English series titled "Xuxa," in the US in the year 1993, which was initially broadcast by 124 stations across the country. Though the series was cancelled after one season due to low ratings, the show was sold to a great number of countries throughout the world, including Japan, Israel, Russia, Australia, Romania and some Arab countries.
15. Her most popular series "Xuxa Só Para Baixinhos" was actually inspired by the educative videos such as "The Wiggles." It is reported that many songs in the first videos are Brazilian Portuguese versions of Wiggles songs.
16. She made her debut as a host for a small regional children's program, "Clube da Criança" for Rede Manchete. This earned her the opportunity to host a national children's program - "Xou da Xuxa," through the multimedia conglomerate TV Globo. The show had an estimated
17. From the year 1980 to 1986, she was in a romantic relationship with Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, whom she met during a modeling assignment for a magazine cover.
18. In December 2016, she filmed the entire event of her flight going into forced landing after the plane was struck by lightning.
19. In the year 1991, she was listed as one among the world's "40 highest-paid entertainers," by Forbes, with an income of $19 million, ahead of actor Mel Gibson, cartoonist Matt Groening, and rapper Vanilla Ice.
20. Xuxa spent her early childhood days in Santa Rosa, but later moved to Rio de Janeiro in the Bento Ribeiro neighborhood at the age of seven, along with her family.
    
21. In the year 1991, she was almost a victim of a kidnapping at the Rede Globo studio, where her TV show "Xou da Xuxa," was being filmed.
22. Her trademark spaceship introduced in "Xou da Xuxa," was actually inspired by Wilson Viana's character "Capitão AZA." The design of the spaceship is said to be from the Penelope Pitstop's vehicle in "Wacky Races."
23. In Spain, she hosted a program "Xuxa Park," which lasted for two years with highest ratings. The theme song of the show, Sabor de la Vida was among the 100 most played in the European Hot 100 Singles.
24. It was reported that in the summer of 1993, she taped around 65 episodes of the first season of her English series "Xuxa," within a 5-week period. This grueling taping schedule, led to her being hospitalized for several days due to exhaustion.
25. While filming the Brazilian version of her Spanish show "Xuxa Park," there was a fire accident generated by short circuit. Some of the children were injured, due to which she considered even ending her career.
26. She has a daughter Sasha Meneghel, born on July 28, 1998, with Brazilian actor Luciano Szafir, with whom she was in a relationship for 11 years.
27. She was originally named after Saint Mary of Graces, Maria da Graça Meneghel, as her father Luiz Floriano Meneghel prayed to St. Mary of Graces, promising to name his daughter after the Virgin if all went well during her birth.
28. Just as her career with children started, Pele, whom she was dating at that time, reportedly collected all of her sensual photos from her previous work as model, and gave it to her with a note asking her to be very careful in the new career.
29. In the year 2012, she claimed in an interview that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, had once courted her, inviting her to dinner at his Neverland estate. She also reported that the legendary singer had offered her a marriage proposal, which she refused.
30. In the year 1987, she participated in the Brazilian Government's campaign against polio. More than 90% of the Brazil's infant population was vaccinated, the same year. Within two years, the disease was totally eliminated and Meneghel was given a medal of honor.
    
31. Xuxa Meneghel Net Worth: $160 Million