Meet ‘Blurred Lines' girl EmRata and her parents: her dad's an internationally renowned painter; her mum, a professor and author – and they welcomed their daughter when they were both in their 40s

South China Morning Post

05-03-2025

Emily Ratajkowski, popularly known as EmRata, went from being known as the
'Blurred Lines' girl to a self-proclaimed 'bad feminist'. Now, she is a prolific supermodel, a New York Times bestselling author, of My Body (2021), has films such as Gone Girl (2014) under her belt, her own podcast, a lingerie and swimwear brand, and a role in
Lena Dunham's forthcoming Netflix series Too Much.
EmRata, 33, is also a single mother, of three-year-old Sylvester Apollo Bear, nicknamed Sly, whom she shares with ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, as reported by People. The coveted model posted a glimpse of her life on Instagram recently, where Sly was seen spending time with his grandfather, EmRata's dad, in his studio. She revealed that her father built the studio in her childhood home, where she would tackle arts and crafts with him.
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Ratajkowski appears to have a close relationship with her parents, but what else do we know about them?
Emily Ratajkowski's family background
Emily Ratajkowski's parents, Kathleen Balgley and John Ratajkowski. Photo: @johnratajkowski/Instagram
Emily Ratajkowski was born in London to John Ratajkowski and Kathleen Balgley, and raised in London and Encinitas, near San Diego. The couple welcomed her when they were in their 40s. EmRata revealed in a 2014 interview with Allure that she is of Polish-Israeli ethnicity. Her father grew up in Coronado, San Diego; and while her mother also grew up in the US, Kathleen's website states that she moved around. Both of EmRata's grandmothers hail from Ireland, says the Irish Star and the model herself has an Irish middle name: O'Hara. The family spent many summers at their Irish farmhouse in Cork, which John Ratajkowski renovated. Kathleen's father was Jewish and she has relatives in Israel, according to her biography.
Her father is an artist
Emily Ratajkowski with her father, John Ratajkowski. Photo: @johnratajkowski/Instagram
John David Ratajkowski is a California-based multidisciplinary artist, says the Daily Mail. His work has been exhibited in several galleries in the US and abroad. His focus is abstract painting and portraits, says The New York Times and he shares some of his work on his Instagram account. He was briefly based in Cork, where he worked on his book, Cow Tuesday, inspired by his daughter's love of his drawings of cows. John was also an art teacher at his daughter's high school, San Dieguito Academy, Encinitas, confirms The New York Times; another of his famous students is Oscar-winning movie producer Jonathan Wang, of
Everything Everywhere All at Once fame. After his 2023 win, Wang credited Ratajkowski with being 'the reason [he] became an artist'. EmRata also studied art, at the University of California, Los Angeles, but dropped out to be a model, reported BuzzFeed.