Bar_Refaeli

Bar Refaeli

Bar Refaeli (בר רפאלי, born June 4, 1985) is an Israeli model, known for her modeling work and for her relationship with actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

Biography

Early life

Refaeli was born in 1985 in Hod HaSharon, Israel, where her parents, Tsipi and Rafi own a horse ranch. She began a modeling career at the age of eight months, appearing in commercials. She had to wear braces in her early years, postponing her modeling. At the age of fifteen, Refaeli returned to modeling where she was represented by Irene Marie Models.

Career

Refaeli began her modeling career before the age of one. By the age of fifteen she was featured in campaigns for the fashion brands Castro and Pilpel, also starring in a commercial for Milki. Refaeli won the title "Model of The Year" in a beauty contest in 2000 and 2001. She was also chosen to be the home model of Renuar fashion network and appeared in their summer 2002 and winter 2003 catalogues.

Refaeli appeared in the French ELLE magazine, as well as becoming the first Israeli model to be featured in Sports Illustrated. The same picture was later published on the cover of Maxim. She appeared on the cover of the March 2006 issue of GQ Italy among many others. She appeared in the 2007 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for which she posed with Aerosmith.

She has been the spokesperson for fashion brand Luisa Cerano. She has modeled for Subaru, Accessorize, Brazilian clothing line, Besni, and Italian jewelry line Marco Bicego. She is signed to Storm Model Management in London, and 1/One Management in New York City. Refaeli will be the co-host of a Bravo special program Tommy Hilfiger Presents Ironic Iconic America which will premiere in early October. The program is based on book Ironic Iconic America written by George Lois.

In 2008, Refaeli has become the face of clothing line Hurley, and the new Diddy cologne I am King.

Acting career

Bar Refaeli has co-starred in Israeli TV series Pick Up in 2005.

In 2009, Rafaeli will star in an English language film Session directed by Israeli Haim Bouzaglo. The film is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a manipulative psychiatrist, Josh Tellman, who becomes obsessed with a new young patient, Eden.

Philanthropy

Refaeli volunteers for Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization providing free services and programs for children facing life-threatening illnesses. She has also volunteered for organization Ahava, which has been caring for pets abandoned in Northern Israel during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Bar Rafaeli and film director Shahar Segal have agreed to do a gratis campaign under the slogan "One Bag Less" to reduce the use of plastic bags.

Personal life

Previously linked to Baywatch actor David Charvet and Uri El-Natan, Rafaeli began a relationship with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio in November 2005 after meeting him at a Las Vegas party thrown for members of U2. In the course of their trip to Israel in March 2007, the couple met with Israeli president Shimon Peres and visited Refaeli's hometown Hod HaSharon.

In 2007, Refaeli became a source of controversy when it became known that she had evaded military service, mandatory for Israeli citizens over 18, by marrying a family acquaintance and divorcing him soon after. Refaeli stated in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, "I really wanted to serve in the IDF, but I don't regret not enlisting, because it paid off big-time," further adding, "Why is it good to die for our country? What, isn't it better to live in New York?" Refaeli has since said the interview didn't accurately reflect her statements and threatened to file a lawsuit for libel. Consequently, the Israeli Forum for the Promotion of Equal Share in the Burden threatened to boycott the fashion chain Fox if they hired Refaeli, but the two sides reached a compromise in which the model would visit injured IDF soldiers on visits to Israel and encourage enlistment in the army.