She was one of the most recognisable faces of the ‘90s and now, Christy Turlington is returning to our screens with the upcoming docuseries, The Supermodels.
Turlington, now 53, will be joined by fellow modelling icons Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista, in a deep dive into the modelling industry of the 90s, with an emphasis on the four womens’ legendary careers.
But while her life on the catwalk is set to be laid bare, the supermodel has kept her personal life relatively private. So in honour of the series’ exploration of her stellar career, below, everything we know about Christy Turlington’s family.
Who Is Christy Turlington Married To?
If Christy Turlington’s husband, looks familiar, it’s probably because he is. Ed Burns has his own ties to fame — the actor rose to prominence in The Brother’s McMullen, a low budget independent film that went on to find unexpected global success. He’s also appeared in hits like The Holiday, 27 Dresses, Saving Private Ryan, Man on a Ledge, and Friends With Kids.
How Did Christy Turlington And Ed Burns Meet?
According to Ed, the couple first met when Christy was interviewed on a show where he was the production assistant.
“I was [working] at a television show, and we interviewed Christy back when I was just a lowly PA,” Burns told Huffington Post. “I had to get her a cup of coffee. Fortunately, she was very nice.”
“She has no memory of it, but of course, [as] the PA who gets to meet Christy Turlington, I remember it very well.”
The couple went on to formally meet in 2000, when they both attended a charity event, and were engaged just six months later.
But despite hitting it off early on, their engagement wasn’t smooth sailing. Their nuptials were originally scheduled for September 2001, but they were forced to postpone after the tragedy of 9/11 hit.
In fact, this took such a toll on their relationship that the couple actually split for several months, a decision that Ed later told Female First was “stupid on my part.”
He explained, “We went our separate ways. I don’t really know why. We were getting along great, but it was as if that special moment for marriage had just come and gone.”
After thankfully reconciling, Christy and Ed were finally married in June 2003, in San Francisco.
Their star-studded guest list included Sting, Vin Diesel, and Bono, who reportedly walked Christy down the aisle after her father passed away from cancer two years earlier.
Do Christy Turlington And Ed Burns Have Children?
Christy and Ed share two children.
Their daughter, Grace, was born in 2003, with Christy pregnant when she walked down the aisle.
Despite having a health pregnancy and straightforward birth with Grace, Christy developed a life-threatening complication shortly after.
“I felt so well-prepared for everything, except for what occurred after she was born. My placenta was retained and could not expel itself so it had to be removed. As a result, I lost a few litres of blood,” the supermodel wrote via the maternal health advocacy foundation, Every Mother Counts, which she founded after the experience.
Christy also spoke about the potentially fatal experience on an episode of The Motherly Podcast.
“That experience is what opened my eyes to this global tragedy. You know I did not know that women and girls were still dying in pregnancy-related complications all over the world. I had no idea,” she explained.
“I’m sure I would have thought that if that happened it was an incredibly rare event. And I think that’s what most people assume. And I learned that the U.S. at that time; my daughter was born in 2003, that more than half a million girls and women were estimated to be dying yearly around the world and that number hadn’t come down in decades. And I was completely shocked.”
These days Grace, now 19, appears to be following in her mother’s footsteps. The college student has several magazine covers to her name, and recently walked her first runway in a show staged by Luisaviaroma.
Most recently, Grace made her fashion week debut, strutting the runway for Alberta Ferreti.
The teenager wore a form-fitting one shoulder dress in dusty pink, with her dark hair loose behind her shoulders.
Taking to Instagram to share footage from the experience, Grace gushed, “thank you thank you thank you for having me in your show…in a castleeeeee!!!!! So so so honoured to be a part of this beautiful collection.”
Christy and Ed also have a son, Finn, born in 2006. At only 17, the couple have kept Finn’s childhood extremely private.
While little is knbown about their youngest child, Christy does occasionally post birthday tributes to her son to Instagram.
On his 15th birthday, she wrote, “Finny B, you are pure sunshine and bring me so much joy. Watching you grow up, especially over this past year, has instilled in me a deep sense of gratitude for this gift of sharing this all too precious life together. You are one of a kind, kiddo. Don’t ever stop shining.”
