After walking the red carpet for the Oscars with her partner Bradley Cooper, the stunning Irina Shayk captured the curiosity of the world. Fans want to know all there is to know about the supermodel and actress. Unfortunately, that’s a little tricky when she keeps her personal life under wraps!

Shayk is a notoriously private person and has been able to attract a social media following of millions without giving away every detail of her life. From her childhood in Europe to becoming one of the most sought-after models in the world, Shayk has certainly been through a lot.

Now a mother to the daughter she shares with Cooper, she balances her work as an in-demand model with her side projects appearing in movies and music videos, and of course, the charity undertakings that are so close to her heart.

Life has thrown some curve balls at her, including growing up with less than enough money after losing her father at a young age and stopping short in her study of marketing. But she has taken lessons from the lemons and turned into an inspirational success story.

Keep reading to find out twenty things about the exciting and private life of Bradley Cooper's leading lady, Irina Shayk.

20 She Debuted In The US On Sports Illustrated

After making a name for herself in Europe, Irina Shayk finally made her debut in the US in 2007, when she appeared in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. For context, that’s like the golden ticket for many models who are trying to make it in the States!

After landing the coveted position, she appeared in the magazine in the years following. In 2011, she outdid herself and many other models by becoming the magazine’s cover girl. Now Irina has a following of millions on social media and is considered to be on the same level as other supermodels in the US.

19 Being A Model Wasn’t The Original Plan

Shayk has done very well as a model, but interestingly enough, she just fell into it. Unlike other little girls, it wasn’t her lifelong dream to be a runway model or any kind of model. She actually intended to pursue music and studied piano at music school. Then after high school, she took on marketing but gave it up when she got poor grades in some classes.

Finally, she went to beauty school with her sister, which is what steered her toward a profession in modeling and fashion. It’s safe to say that she ended up making the right choice!

18 Bradley Cooper Isn’t The Only Famous Face She’s Been Associated With

Many fans have come to know Shayk through her relationship with movie star Bradley Cooper, which kicked off in 2015. But the model has been romantically linked to some other famous faces in the past. Between 2010 and 2015 she dated soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo after the two met through an Armani Exchange campaign.

Mirror UK reported that the couple called it quits when Shayk didn’t attend Ronaldo’s mother’s surprise birthday party. The Daily Mail, however, reported that Shayk was the one to end things because Ronaldo was too much of a flirt and was talking to “girls all over the world.”

17 She’s Also Been Connected To Kanye West

Shayk has also been connected to other megastars in the entertainment industry, including rapper Kanye West. In 2010, she appeared in the music video for his single ‘Power’ in which she stood in front of a wind machine and effortlessly stunned everyone. Even ten years later, the model is still dazzling in that video.

It seems that Shayk left quite an impression on West because he had her walk in his fashion show two years later in 2012. West also mentioned Shayk’s name in ‘Christian Dior Denim Flow,’ which many commenters have credited for Shayk’s transformation from swimsuit model to high-fashion model.

16 She’s Super Quiet About Her Daughter With Bradley Cooper

Not all fans know that Irina Shayk shares a daughter with Bradley Cooper because the couple is incredibly private when it comes to their family and personal lives. Shayk gave birth to Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper in March of 2017, two years after she started dating the actor.

In 2016, Shayk walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, even with the crowd whispering that she was expecting. The couple is so quiet about their daughter that few public pictures of her exist. Shayk doesn’t share photos of Lea on social media, and Cooper doesn’t have any social media pages at all.

15 But She Loves Being A Mom

Even though Shayk likes to keep most photos of her daughter from circulating and usually likes to stay tight-lipped about motherhood, she has been known to talk about life as a mom in a couple of rare interviews. And from what she’s said, it seems like she loves being a mom!

“I always say that being a mom is one of the greatest things in the world,” she said in an interview with W Magazine. “I don’t think it’s changed my life. It did change in a way to make me better. Family is the most important thing in the world.”

14 Actually, She’s Quiet About Much Of Her Life

Shayk is not only quiet about life as a mom (most of the time!), but she’s also not overly vocal about anything else in her life. She makes a conscious decision not to discuss her family or personal life. “I have a lot of friends who share a lot of their personal life on IG or social media, very publicly,” she said in a 2019 interview with Glamour UK. “I admire it and I think it’s great—but I think it’s all about personal choice.”

The model also revealed that she likes to keep her personal life quiet because her professional life is very public. “That’s why it’s called personal, because it’s something for you and your family, and I feel happy with it.”

13 She Was Born In Russia, With A Much Longer Name On Her Birth Certificate

Though she rose to fame in the United States, Shayk was actually born in Russia, on January 6, 1986, in a town called Yemanzhelinsk. And Irina Shayk is a shortened moniker that is easier for fans in the US to pronounce, but the name on her birth certificate is quite a bit longer. Ready for it? She was born Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova.

That was understandably a little too long to fit on the Sports Illustrated cover! The model was born to a father who was a coal miner and a mother who was a kindergarten music teacher. She has one sister called Tatiana.

12 Her Upbringing Wasn’t The Easiest

Taking after her mother’s musical tendencies, Shayk started playing the piano at the age of six and attended music school from the age of nine to 16. But her upbringing was far from easy. When she was just fourteen, her father passed away due to complications from pneumonia, and her family was left with little money.

Her mother then had to take on two jobs to provide for the family, so modeling was far from the young Shayk’s mind. Instead, she believed studying marketing could bring her a better life, but it was not meant to be. Instead, she ended up on the runways of New York City.

11 Her Exercise Regime Can Get Strenuous

Many fans admire Shayk’s toned figure, but the model has confirmed that she doesn’t really worry too much about what she eats. Instead, she focuses more on keeping up with an exercise regime, that can get strenuous from time to time.

“I do work out five times a week,” she said. In an interview with The Telegraph, she went into detail about the kinds of exercise she likes to do. “Lately I’ve taken up ju-jitsu, which is great fun and also great cardio. You have to find something that works for your body. I get bored very easily, so I’m always trying to find something different.”

10 There Is One Magazine She Would Never Pose For

Now that she’s at the top of her game, Shayk is in the position to pick and choose who she wants to work for. And she is adamant that there is one publication she refuses to pose for: “I would never do Playboy,” she said. “Yes, I am a [underwear] model, but I have class. Playboy offered me so much money last year. I was like, ‘No way.’”

While Shayk may feel that way, there are many stars who have been happy to pose for the magazine. Among them are Kim Kardashian, Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron, and Mariah Carey.

9 She Is Also An Actress

In addition to being a successful model, Shayk is also an actress. She made her film debut in 2014 film Hercules alongside Dwayne Johnson as his love interest, Megara. Though the film required her to wear some challenging costumes (or lack thereof), she didn’t mind because she saw it as “a piece of art.”

In an interview with Metro, she revealed that she is very confident with her body and felt that the scenes she did were necessary because the movie was a retelling of Greek mythology. The film earned $244 million after its release on July 25, 2014.

8 Her Pets Are A-Listers

It looks like being an A-lister runs in Shayk’s family! While we can’t speak for daughter Lea just yet (but we like her chances of inheriting some serious acting talent), her pet dog is descended from a famous pooch. The model claims that Caesare, who was named after Julius Caesar, was fathered by one of the dogs who played Marley in Marley & Me (which we still can’t watch without crying).

Interestingly enough, Bradley Cooper’s dog is also something of a movie star, since he was featured in Cooper’s latest film A Star Is Born. Too cute!

7 One Of Her Beauty Tips Is Organic Cocoa Butter

The world is eager to know what goes into Shayk’s beauty regime, and while much of it remains a mystery, the model has opened up about a few of her sneaky cosmetic weapons. It’s been reported that she loves to use organic cocoa butter and uses it as a moisturizer for her face and her body.

Another beauty tip that Shayk swears by? Going easy on the drinking does wonders for the skin and face plus stops premature aging that can come from all the toxins in many drinks. “I’m not the kind of person who is out drinking,” she admitted.

6 Bradley Cooper’s Team Set Him Up With Shayk

Though Shayk and Cooper don’t like to talk about their relationship too much, we do have an inkling as to how they met. OK! Magazine reported that Cooper’s team presented him with photos of various different single women (who were all extremely attractive), kind of like his own personal Tinder.

Apparently, Cooper decided Shayk was the girl for him, and after meeting, the two hit it off. They were first officially spotted together in April 2015. They attended Finding Neverland on Broadway just after they each broke it off with their respective partners at the time, Suki Waterhouse and Cristiano Ronaldo.

5 It Didn’t Take Long For Her And Bradley To Get Serious

After going on a few dates, it didn’t take long for Shayk and Cooper to get serious about their relationship. By September of 2015, Cooper introduced the model to his family at a barbecue in New Jersey, and they stayed together overnight at his mother’s house. E! News reported that, in the same month, the two stars declared their love for one another.

In April 2016, Shayk went public with her new romance and posted a photo on her IG, in which she was cuddling with Cooper in a pool. Of course, their heads were cropped out, but we still got the memo!

4 She’s Not Glam At Home

Believe it or not, but Shayk leaves the glam effect for the runways and red carpets she walks. When she’s at home, she keeps things very casual. “It’s sweatpants, hair bun, no make-up—I literally never wear make-up,” she said in an interview of how she looks at home.

A lot of her relaxed approach to her look at home is making sure her daughter has a sense of normalcy and not instilling her with unreasonable standards from a young age. It’s good to know that the rich and famous also like to chill out at home and laze around the house in sweatpants!

3 She Gives Back To The Community

Shayk is involved with several charity projects, which may be her way of giving back to the community after being so blessed and achieving so much. In fact, during an interview with Vogue, she revealed that charity would be one of her focuses (along with family) if she gave up modeling.

“I’m involved with several,” she said. “It’s an important part of life to give something to the world, not only to take.” Her involvements include working with organizations that help rescue and care for animals. Along with her sister, Shayk has also been involved with charity for hospitals back in Europe.

2 Her Friends Are A-Listers

It’s not only Shayk’s dog or her past romantic partners who share her famous status. Along with Kanye West, there are a few other celebrities who the model considers to be friends. One of her buddies is fellow model Chrissy Teigen, who is married to singer John Legend.

They first met when they appeared in their first Swimsuit Issue together and remained close friends as their professional lives took off. Shayk even gave Teigen’s daughter, Luna, an amazing birthday present on her second birthday—a pink mini Mercedes convertible. Shayk also brushes shoulders with the elite of the fashion world.

1 She Doesn’t Think Having A Baby Has To Change A Woman’s Life

On one of the rare occasions that saw Shayk opening up about motherhood and her personal life, she revealed that she believes becoming a mom doesn’t have to turn a woman’s life around. In the interview, she said that her friends have called her out in the past because she posts pictures that they don’t think are appropriate for mothers to be posting.

“And I just said, ‘So what!’” the model confessed. “I think it’s really about who you are, who you [want to] be and I really feel you just have to stick to your thing. I don’t believe anyone should have to change just because you’re a mother! No, I’m still me!”

Sources: Grazia Daily, Boomsbeat, Heavy, People, Vogue