Latest news with #AmberValletta
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Amber Valletta Recalls Her Mother's Cancer Battle at Living Beauty Spring Luncheon
Amber Valletta Recalls Her Mother's Cancer Battle at Living Beauty Spring Luncheon originally appeared on L.A. Mag. "Cancer changes everything," said Amber Valletta after Rachel Zoe introduced her at the Living Beauty Cancer Foundation luncheon and fundraiser in Beverly Hills on May 30. "Not just for the person diagnosed, but for everyone who loves her. I know this deeply because my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 40 years old. She survived."Valletta, who received the Ambassador of Light Award, went on: "That time in our lives was filled with fear, uncertainty and a kind of quiet bravery I'd never seen before. I watched her move through surgery and treatment while still being fully present for her family. She wasn't just a patient — she was a wife, a daughter, a friend and my mother. Even while recovering, she found a way to keep showing up for us all. That was my first glimpse into what true strength looks like." "Then at 60, she was diagnosed again," Valletta continued. "That second time in her life brought a deeper kind of resilience. We all knew more — which meant, we feared more. But she faced it with even more grace and wisdom. She had already walked this road once, and now, she was walking it again, but with a powerful inner calm."Valletta looked out into the crowd. "During that time, she taught me something profound: That living with cancer doesn't mean living without beauty," she said. "It can mean discovering a deeper, more radiant kind of beauty: one rooted in resilience, in sisterhood and in spirit." "That's what Living Beauty brings to life — the understanding that beauty isn't lost in illness, but revealed in connection, community and care," Valletta said. "For so many women, this foundation becomes a lifeline, a blessing, a sisterhood, a place where the soul can rest and the heart can be held. Living Beauty offers more than support; it offers a sacred space where women can exhale; where strength is shared; where healing happens in laughter, in stillness, in being seen and deeply known."She then addressed the cancer patients in the group: "To the women here today, your courage is breathtaking. Your grace is grounding, and you're not defined by your diagnosis, but by the love that you give, the light that you carry and the way you show us how to live more fully.""To my mother," Valletta said, "thank you, for your example, your heart, your unshakable strength. You showed me that beauty lives in how we love, how we give and how we rise." In 2005, 20 years ago, Amie Satchu started the Living Beauty Cancer Foundation nonprofit to support her mother, who was newly diagnosed with cancer, and her two best friends, Diane and Mary. "It was that moment I realized I couldn't cure their cancer, but what I could do is make their world and their day a little easier as they faced all of the uncertainty and fear and trauma that accompanies the cancer diagnosis," Satchu said to the crowd. "So it was born out of a daughter's love for her mom and her two besties." Read more about how Satchu founded Living Beauty in our L.A. Woman became Satchu's first Living Beauties — and she went on to build a community. "Today, what started with three women became a movement, and 20 years later, Living Beauty is now a national organization that provides an emotional and physical sanctuary for over 2,500 women along their cancer journey," Satchu the foundation provides wellness support programs and helps cancer patients connect with each other. "In the past year alone, the number of women we've served has increased by over 56%," Satchu noted. "This fall, we will launch our fully-funded Living Beauty community platform, a virtual retreat space where women can connect, participate in live programs and access vital support 24 hours a day." They're also deepening their commitment to one of the most vulnerable groups they serve, single mothers navigating treatment. The annual fundraiser greatly contributes to that, and this year's event at Satchu's home — attended by guests including Tracy Robbins, Christine Chiu and Jason Bolden — raised $745,000 to support the free wellness and healing experiences. Upon arrival, the well-heeled crowd enjoyed an immersive shopping experience with the MyTheresa Style Suite, as well as crafted cocktails from Don Julio, Ketel One and Tanqueray; Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards Wines; and Caliwater drinks. Read more about last year's event. Following a dairy- and gluten-free lunch and inspiring speeches (including an account by Shayna Welsh, a two-time breast cancer and brain cancer survivor), guests left with wellness gift boxes curated by Cymbiotika, featuring supplements that promote a more holistic lifestyle. "Let us keep creating spaces of connection," pledged Valletta in closing. "Let us keep honoring every woman's path. And may we always remember: healing doesn't just live in medicine; it lives in the beauty of showing up for one another." This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.


Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Amber Valletta, 51, was a '90s model who starred in a movie with Michelle Pfeiffer... see her now
Amber Valletta was a major 1990s supermodel who worked for top designers such as Versace and DKNY. And the 5ft10in catwalk veteran had a major contract with Calvin Klein. The 51-year-old also graced the cover of Vogue dozens of times, often with her equally photogenic friend Shalom Harlow. In the 2000s, Valletta began to focus on her career as an actress. She had her first major film role as a poltergeist in Robert Zemeckis' supernatural thriller What Lies Beneath (2000) with Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. Then the blonde appeared in films such as Hitch (2005), Transporter 2 (2005), Man About Town (2006), Dead Silence (2007), Gamer (2009), and The Spy Next Door (2010). She was a blonde bombshell in these early 2000s Versace ads In 2011, she moved to television, appearing in a recurring role as the fallen socialite Lydia Davis on ABC's drama television series Revenge. In 2015, Valletta starred as the scheming Carla Briggs in another ABC soap opera, Blood & Oil. In 2020 she discussed her past addiction to drugs and alcohol as she celebrated 25 years of sobriety. In an interview with NET-A-PORTER's digital title, Porter, the model and actress credited ditching her abuse with substance to saving her life. The star candidly told the publication: 'Left to my own devices, I guarantee you no matter how much I love life, my family, if I take a drink or any of my drugs of choice, I'll be dead. I'll ruin everything.' Catwalk queen Amber first opened up about her dependency issues in July 2014, when she revealed she was introduced to drugs at the tender age of 10, and started using cocaine at 18. On being proud to be clean, the former face of Giorgio Armani admitted: 'I didn't have a problem when I was out using, if you saw me high or drunk. 'So why would I be ashamed of being clean and saying, 'I have a disease that I can't control'? Only by being sober do I have any chance of survival.' The supermodel rose to prominence in the 90s, with the beauty gracing 16 American Vogue covers, serving as an ambassador for Versace, and securing multi-million contracts with Calvin Klein and Elizabeth Arden. On adapting a 'sisterhood' with the likes of Kate Moss and Shalom Harlow, the TV and film star recalled: 'Nobody was thinking about whether we were making a statement. 'You'd fight with each other, cry with each other, support each other, lose jobs to each other, all of it.' The media personality went on to highlight the differences within the fashion industry in today's age, admitting she loathes the current 'selfie' era. Amber explained: 'You would never have taken your Polaroid camera and turned it around on yourself. You would never have talked about how you were flying around in a private jet. 'That's why when Linda [Evangelista] made that one statement ['I never get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day'], it was huge. People talk like that all the time on Instagram now. People who don't even do anything! '[Selfies] make me painfully uncomfortable. I want things to change – that's all I care about now.' On the early beginnings of her career, she admitted she felt 'disconnected' from the world, but now makes it her mission to live her truth. The Blood & Oil actress shared: 'I started modeling at 15. I started feeling a big disconnect. I couldn't quite work out what it was. I vacillated from being melancholy to being overwhelmed with anxiety to partying. 'I want to be the person that I aspire to be. I don't want to talk it, I want to live it. I want to allow myself the space to have bad days, be sad, be mad, be loving and accepting of others. 'Even people that I don't think are right. It's hard to do, but I want to move through the world as gently as I can.' Since her time in the spotlight, Amber has become somewhat of an activist, serving as the spokesperson for Oceana's Seafood Contamination Campaign. In November, she was arrested by Capitol police and charged with blocking traffic while demonstrating alongside Jane Fonda during her weekly climate change protest in Washington, DC. Sticking by her actions, the blonde explained: 'I chose to get arrested. I've been feeling this need to get loud, to step into my own. I don't care what anyone thinks. 'I can't sit on the sidelines, I need to physically put myself on the line. I chose to get arrested as a symbol. My life is worth putting out there, in order to show that all our lives are worth fighting for.' On putting her beliefs in the forefront, the mother-of-one elaborated: 'I believe in this. I will risk public opinion, being in jail. It was profound. 'This is the most important crisis we're facing. I'm not diminishing cancer or Aids, diabetes or addiction, but there won't be anything left to fight for. Nothing else matters.' Amber - who shares son Auden, 25, with ex husband Chip McCaw - admitted she 'wants to cry' whenever she thinks about climate change and the future of our planet. She added: 'I'll be dead, but my great-grandkids? To live in a world where they wouldn't experience this. Where they couldn't see elephants or a whale. 'The ocean could be disgusting and full of plastic; you can't eat fish, go to a beach, see coral; you can't have the opportunity to be doctors or scientists or creators. We take it for granted. It's overwhelmingly ridiculous.' To see the full interview with Amber Valletta, read Porter here. You can download the NET-A-PORTER app for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Vogue Arabia
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Arabia
Boho Bags Are in For Summer 2025
Skip to main content We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site. Synonymous with the breeziness of summer, boho bags are back in style May 12, 2025 Boho is back. In the realm of accessories, the boho bag perfectly epitomises summer—characterised by impressive fringe details, classic boho prints or a raffia look. This accessory will give any simple look an extra dose of flair. One bag that stands out in particular is the new tote bag by Karl Lagerfeld, which was created in collaboration with brand ambassador Amber Valletta. "Collaborating on this project was a special experience that combines the traditional and the contemporary," says Valletta. The bag, which is limited to 320 pieces, was produced in collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), which creates sustainable jobs for artisans in Burkina Faso and Kenya. Each model bears the signature of one of the participating artisans. Made from 100% cotton in Burkina Faso, the model is also dyed with GOTS-certified colours. The black and white bag not only impresses with plenty of storage space, but also with special details such as red accents or braided elements. Its casually elegant look makes it the perfect companion - both in your free time and in the office. Karl Lagerfeld x Amber Valletta striped tote bag , AED1,142 Discover more boho bags to shop here: Jacquemus The Bambola, AED4,985 Chloé Edith Mini Bag in Recycled Cashmere Knit & Buffalo Leather, AED7,000 Article originally published on Vogue Germany