Liberty Ross - Biography

The English model has fronted major fashion campaigns and graced the covers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, i-D, and Dazed & Confused

Liberty Ross' Early Life

Born in 1978, Liberty Lettice Lark Ross has that mix of boho-aristo chic and street credibility that makes the fashion world's top movers and shakers reach for their wallets. 

Her maternal grandfather was Lord Killearn, while her father, Ian Ross, was one of the launch team of Radio Caroline, and in the Eighties founded Flipper's, the first roller disco in Los Angeles. While her dad hung out with Prince, Robin Williams and the rock group Queen, Liberty would be pushed around the roller rink in her pram by her elder sister. When the club got closed down by the police, Ian changed tack and became a plummy English butler for a rich family in Hollywood. 

When Liberty was six, the family moved back to Britain, where Liberty eventually won a scholarship to a prestigious London day school, gaining more than respectable A Level grades. Hip photographer Corinne Day, who made Kate Moss the fashion icon she is today, first spotted Liberty on the city's Portobello Road when she was just 13 years old. But Liberty was not new to modelling. 

As a seven-year-old, she had appeared in an advertising campaign for chic jewellers Tiffany and, two years later, was photographed for the cover of an Ozzy Osbourne album. "He was sitting on a throne with these skulls," Liberty later recalled. "I was meant to be this little child bride next to him. His hand was shaking wildly and he was pouring with sweat." 

But modelling was not really on Liberty's list of Things To Do. "Lots of girls will work for five years before Mario will use them, and I was not prepared to slog around doing that," she said airily. Instead, she became a TV presenter for a Japanese cable station called the Okey Dokey channel. Until Mario came calling, that is. 

Liberty Ross' Rise to Stardom

Liberty eventually became one of the most in-demand models on the circuit, winning the prestigious Model of the Year Award at the Elle Style Awards in 2000. Emmanuel Ungaro used her to promote his Desnuda fragrance, and she also signed on as the face of the Guerlain cosmetics house. Fashion success has paid off for Liberty, who in 2005 came in at number eight on a list of the richest models under 30. 

Liberty Ross' Personal Life

Liberty married director Rupert Sanders in 2002. Following their nuptials the couple welcomed two children – a daughter, Skyla, and son Tennyson. However, in 2012 published photos of Rupert engaged in an intimate embrace with actress Kristen Stewart. 

At the time, Rupert had been directing Kristen in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), which Liberty also starred in. "It was horrible. It was really the worst, really the worst," she recalled in an interview with Vanity Fair. "I have no words to describe what we went through. But I think, for me, something always has to completely die for there to be a rebirth. And, for me, I feel like I'm going through a rebirth."

Once news of the affair broke, both Kristen and Rupert issued separate public apologies, with the latter hoping for a reconciliation with Liberty. 

"I am utterly distraught about the pain I have caused my family," Rupert told Reuters. "My beautiful wife and heavenly children are all I have in this world. I love them with all my heart. I am praying that we can get through this together."

Ultimately, Liberty decided to separate from her husband and filed for divorce in January 2013. They continue to share custody of their children. 

While the affair caused a lot of pain for the model, Liberty has since forgiven Rupert for the affair. In 2014, she told Harper's Bazaar: "People need to learn to forgive. I have no problem with anyone involved." 

In the aftermath of Rupert's affair, Liberty decided to stage a career comeback and appeared on the cover of The Edit, as well as gracing the pages of Vanity Fair. Her runway return came in September 2012, with Liberty walking for Alexander Wang at New York Fashion Week. Among her other endeavours, in 2014, Liberty helped to design a capsule collection for Genetic Denim which was sold exclusively at Net-a-Porter. 

As of 2016, Liberty is married to record producer Jimmy Lovine. He is best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. The couple resides in Los Angeles. 

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