Dayanara Torres' life in the spotlight has been a whirlwind. From winning Miss Universe in 1993 to marrying and divorcing one of the Latino world's biggest stars, Marc Anthony, it's clear that her life has had plenty of highs and just as many lows. It seems like for Dayanara, moments of happiness are often clouded with turmoil and strife, but she consistently overcomes the challenges that come her way.
In February 2019, months after announcing her engagement to film producer Louis D'Esposito, the actress and model revealed that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer. She made the announcement to inspire other women to take better care of themselves. Shortly after, we learned that her fiancé had called off the engagement. Bullet dodged, Dayanara!
More from MamásLatinas: Celebrities who have battled chronic illnesses
When things fall apart in her life, she finds a way to pull herself out of the rubble, from writing a self-help book to making her grand return to television in Mira Quién Baila. Dayanara has shown us time and time again that what's most beautiful about her are her resilience and inner strength. She reminds us that although we will at times fall, that doesn't mean we can't pick ourselves up. Scroll through to take a look at some of the ups and downs of the 48-year-old model's life.
She became a beauty queen by accident.
She was discovered walking around her hometown and was encouraged to represent Villalba in the Miss Puerto Rico pageant. She won that title and went on to represent Puerto Rico in the Miss Universe pageant in 1993.
She became Miss Universe in 1993.
She headed to the competition, which took place in 1993, and was crowned that year's winner. How crazy is it that it all started because she was spotted in her hometown and encouraged to enter the Miss Puerto Rico pageant?
She then became a huge star in the Philippines.
After winning the crown, she headed to the Philippines, where she lived for five years. Her acting career took off, and she was a well-known and beloved actress there at the time, starring in several movies, including Hataw Na, and TV shows.
She returned to Puerto Rico in 1998 to launch her singing career.
She headed back to her hometown in 1998 and released her album, titled Antifaz. That album actually did well on the Billboard charts in Latin America and the Philippines, but Dayanara never recorded another album and stopped pursuing singing.
She even has her own Barbie-like doll!
During the 1990s, many celebrities released doll versions of themselves, and Dayanara was one of them! The dolls were a big hit in both Puerto Rico and the Philippines. It included a beauty pageant sash and crown.
Dayanara began dating singer Marc Anthony.
They met in 1998 and started dating. The couple became engaged, and they tied the knot in a quickie wedding on May 9, 2000, in Las Vegas. In 2002, they separated, but not for long.
The couple separated in 2002, but later that year they renewed their vows in Puerto Rico.
The couple had issues in their marriage, which led to their separation in 2002. They got back together and celebrated with a formal wedding ceremony at San Juan's Cathedral in Puerto Rico that same year on December 7.
The pair welcomed two beautiful kids together.
The former couple have two sons together. They welcomed Cristian Anthony Muñiz in February 2001 and Ryan Anthony Muñiz in August 2003. Christian was born before their separation in 2002 and Ryan was born shortly before the couple broke up for good.
Dayanara and Marc officially divorced in 2004.
Their final separation was in October 2003, and Dayanara was the one who filed for divorce in January 2004 after four years of marriage. The divorce was finalized June 1, 2004, and Marc married Jennifer Lopez that same month.
The beauty queen dated actor Amaury Nolasco for a year.
The pair announced in March 2008 that they were going their separate ways. "After being together for a year, we have decided to end our relationship. We will always have a lovely friendship and share great love and respect for each other," the couple said in a statement at the time.
Dayanara headed to court to ask for an increase in child support in 2013.
The mom of two demanded thousands more in child support from Marc Anthony after their divorce, claiming that she had to sell her Los Angeles home and move the family into a modest apartment at the time. The salsa singer had been paying $13,000 a month in child support and $3,500 in spousal support.
Marc was ordered to pay Dayanara $26,000 a month in child support.
According to papers filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on June 11, 2014, Marc Anthony was ordered to give his ex-wife $26,800 a month in child support for their two sons. She also received an increase in their yearly vacation allowance.
Dayanara released a book following her divorce.
The former Miss Universe released the self-help book Married to Me: How Committing to Myself Led to Triumph After Divorce. The book came out in 2008 as a guide for other divorcées.
Dayanara has been using her platform to raise awareness.
She shared a lot posts about donating to and helping Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017, and she also participated in fundraising initiatives after the earthquake in Mexico that year.
She made her return to television, but for a different kind of competition.
She joined the Univision dancing competition Mira Quién Baila in 2017, representing Puerto Rico. Turns out that dancing is actually another one of her talents because she did very well.
She ended up winning the season.
She was crowned the winner of season five of Mira Quién Baila, which premiered on Univision on September 17, 2017, and ended on November 19, 2017. She won $50,000, which she donated to San Jorge Children’s Foundation in Puerto Rico.
In 2017, the beauty queen took to Instagram to reveal that her dad was critically ill.
She asked fans for prayers for her dad, who was in intensive care in December 2017. Her father, José Humberto Torres López, had previously battled with colon cancer and a heart problem.
Her dad died in December 2017.
She revealed on Instagram on December 13, 2017, that her her father had died. She was destroyed by the news and flew out to Puerto Rico to lay him to rest. "Rest in Peace. My hero, my strength, my friend… My Dad. I LOVE YOU PAPI," she wrote on Instagram at the time.
She served as a judge on the dance competition show she previously won.
She joined the judges' table in 2018 for season six of Mira Quién Baila, along with professional dancer Casper Smart and singer Yuri. What a full circle moment for her to go from being in the competition to judging the competition.
She made her relationship with Louis D'Esposito public in 2018.
After teasing on social media that she had a new man, Dayanara revealed in October 2018 that she was dating movie executive Louis D'Esposito. Have you ever heard of Marvel Studios? Well, he's the co-president of the organization.
The pair announced their surprise engagement just a month after going public!
Dayanara shared an adorable photo of their engagement—and showed off her massive rock—on Instagram in November 2018. "He asked & I said YES!!!" she captioned it. They seemed very happy together at the time.
She shared a tearful video in February 2019 to reveal her skin cancer diagnosis.
The actress-model shared a heartfelt Instagram video that she had been diagnosed with melanoma. In the tearful clip, she urged women to take better care of themselves and said she felt strong and ready to battle the illness.
Dayanara shared another video and shared some good news with her fans.
She thanked everyone for their prayers and support and said how encouraging her fans' support has been. She also shared positive news amid her skin cancer diagnosis. "I'm so happy to give you some good news," she shared in the Instagram clip. "Last week's tests show that my cancer is not spreading & is not reaching any of my organs!!!"
She started radiation treatment.
She shared a clip in March 2019 about her treatment, and the sweetest part was that she was still smiling throughout it. She's truly an inspiration. She has used her influence as a celebrity to encourage others to get checked for melanoma pretty much since the moment she was diagnosed.
Louis D'Esposito called off their engagement.
It was reported in March 2019 that the co-president of Marvel Studios called things off with the beauty queen amid her cancer battle. A source told People en Español that the movie executive felt that her health issues were "too much" for him.
She seemed to address the breakup in an Instagram post.
The day the news broke, on March 5, 2019, she posted a photo of herself on Instagram and captioned it: "Notice the people who make an effort to stay in your Life." She later shared another post saying that she was "focusing on the good."
She beat skin cancer and made the announcement on social media.
On March 24, 2020, the Puerto Rican model announced that she was cancer-free in this emotional video. "I feel so blessed and happy! I had my tests done yesterday (MRI, PET & CT scans) and they were ALL negative!" she wrote on social media. She thanked everyone who was part of the process, including her mother and the rest of her family.
"From now on I will need to get the same 3 studies with radiation every 3 months for the next 2 years!
Thankful to God to whom I've always prayed to with so much faith and has listened to the pleas of my heart. He assured in his message full of faith and optimism."
She launched a home collection.
In November 2021, she announced the launch of her home collection, Dayanara Collection. The line includes all sorts of furnishings and home decor items. It's tasteful and lovely. It's available in Me Salve stores in Puerto Rico or online via the store's website.
She found love again!
On March 26, 2022, she posted an anniversary video marking one year with her newest romantic partner. Although, you can't see her beau in the video, we know it is executive producer Marcelo Gama. He's won Emmys for his work on the Latin Grammys in 2019 and 2020.
She moved from California to Florida.
On March 8, 2022, she posted a video of herself unboxing items from her Dayanara Collection in her new Miami home. Perhaps her move to Florida has something to do with her new boyfriend since he lives there, too.
She went public about being bullied when she was younger.
In September 2022, she shared on Giselle Blondet's podcast Lo que no se habla that she was bullied for her looks lack of wealth while attending private school with kids from affluent families. Little did they know how far Dayanara would go.
