Laetitia Casta has both literally and figuratively broken the waif mold that the supermodel kingdom has been dominated by for decades. Born May 11, 1978 in Pont-Audemer, France, she has brought curves back to the forefront of top fashion magazines, although she hasn't done so without controversy. article continued below.....

Laetitia Casta has both literally and figuratively broken the waif mold that the supermodel kingdom has been dominated by for decades. Born May 11, 1978 in Pont-Audemer, France, she has brought curves back to the forefront of top fashion magazines, although she hasn't done so without controversy.

Her name means 'joy' in Latin, and she led a very joyous life in Normandy, where she lived with her family in the country. Before that though, she lived in Corsica where her father Dominique hailed from. Laetitia is very shy and has admitted on several occasions to be intimidated by men, which perhaps may boggle some men's minds. She did however become much less shy when her mother Line brought her sister Marie-Ange into the world, which inspired Laetitia to become a role model for her younger sister. In 1993, Laetitia signed on with Guess? Jeans and from there, Victoria's Secret in 1996. Her popularity continued and she landed spots in the 1997, 1998, and 1999 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues.

She's appeared in nearly 100 covers of major fashion magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour and her momentum continues. The 2000 Victoria's Secret campaign shows her spotlighted in her own commercial. She also has been in several commercials for L'Oreal, joined in many by Simon Rex.

Laetitia is not only everywhere in print, but is establishing herself as a credible actor as well, having been in Asterix which starred Gerard Depardieu, Roberto Benigni and Christian Clavier, in the most costly French film ever made. Laetitia also has a brown belt in Judo. She feels that her experience with Judo has helped her in her modeling career to have control, to set limits for herself, to not be aggressive and to think with her mind not with her emotions.

• Once invited a homeless man for dinner in her hotel while in London.
• Dating famed humanitarian Faiz Ahmad.
• Laetitia Casta was victim of an agression by a Parisian cab driver. The man lost is temper in a traffic jam, and started to verbally agress her while she was on her phone. Scared by the attitude of the man she and her friend paid and left the cab. The cab driver continued to insult them and got out of his cab to spray them with mace gaz. Later the cab driver made up a story ( that she was playing merry hell and screaming) to justify his agression when the police arrested him. The tabloids simply repeated his version keeping it that way as it was more juicy and scandalous than the truth. The man was condemned by the court a week later.
• (1998) Net worth $5.3 million dollars
• Has appeared in over 80 covers of different magazines around the world.
• Has a brown belt in judo.
• Enjoys driving go-carts.
• Has an older brother and a younger sister.
• Discovered at age 15 while lying on the beach with her family
• Has been the "Guess Girl" in numerous ad campaigns for Guess jeans Cover appearances for "Elle, " "Mademoiselle, " "Seventeen, " "Cosmopolitan, " and "Glamour" magazines Sizzled in several Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues