Some people find fame as a result of their accomplishments while some others gain fame as a result of their ties to the famous. If there is one person who belongs to the latter category, it is Marisol Maldonado.
Maldonado is a former fashion model turned artist manager and philanthropist. She is also better known as the wife of Grammy Award winner, and Matchbox 20 frontman, Rob Thomas. The couple has been married for over 20 years during which Maldonado has bravely battled the invisible, but debilitating Lyme disease.
Marisol Maldonado Bio
Marisol Maldonado was born on the 27th of May 1971 in Queens, New York City. There are not many details about her family background or educational qualifications. It is however known that her parents are of Puerto Rican descent which means that she is Latina.
Maldonado spent much of late teens and early twenties working as a model. During that time, she modeled for several high-end brands and also landed on the pages of many magazines. Additionally, she also worked as a video-vixen and appeared in several music videos. These days, Maldonado is busy with charity work and is a notable philanthropist. She is the co-founder and president of the non-profit, P. Sidewalk Angels Foundation.
The organization assists needy people throughout America and provides them with essentials such as medical care. The foundation also supports animal rights; and feeds, rescues and shelters animals. Sidewalk Angels Foundation also has an online clothing store which sells diverse clothing items. All proceeds, are, of course, used to fund the organization’s charity activities.
Family (Husband and Kids)
Marisol Maldonado is married to popular singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Rob Thomas. Thomas was born on the 14th of February 1972 in Landstuhl, West Germany. He However grew up in America and endured a troubled and unstable childhood. The young Thomas found solace in music and later joined hands with other aspiring musicians to form the alternative rock band, Matchbox 20, in 1995.
The band dropped their first album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in October 1996. The album initially had a slow take-off but later went platinum. It also won two awards at the American Music Awards. Since then, Matchbox 20 has dropped other successful albums and headlined several sold-out tours. Rob Thomas has also enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist and songwriter. He has released no less than four solo albums including Something To Be which debuted at Number one on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.
Marisol Maldonado first met her husband at an awards after-party held in Montreal in 1997. They were introduced by a mutual friend and fell for each other at first sight. The couple subsequently commenced a relationship and later tied the knot in California in October 1998. Prior to their relationship, Thomas lived the life of a typical rock star filled with booze, drugs, and women. He has however left that lifestyle behind. He has now revealed he has worked the whole youthful exuberance issue out of his system and as such, he doesn’t fill like he is missing out on anything.
Maldonado and her husband do not have any kids together. Her husband, however, has a son, named Maison Avery William Thomas, from a previous relationship.
Battle with Lyme Disease
Marisol Maldonado has suffered from the debilitating Lyme disease since 2003. Due to the conflicting symptoms that the disease presents, it was initially hard to correctly diagnose her. At first, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and later, lupus. It was only during a 2015 surgery, to remove a lesion from her brain, that doctors correctly diagnosed her as suffering from eight tick-borne diseases.
As a result of her condition, Maldonado often suffers from seizures, numbness, visual disturbances, and constant pain and this has affected her ability to have kids. The media personality has had to rely on multiple treatments, including drugs and holistic therapies, to handle the disease. Despite her health challenges, Maldonado still accompanies her husband on tours and acts as his manager. She has also worked with several organizations to raise awareness about Lyme disease and also fight the stigma attached to the illness.
Other Facts about Marisol Maldonado
- She produced the 2007 documentary movie, My Secret Record, which revolved around her husband’s life and career.
- She is 5 feet 7 inches (1.7m) tall.
- Maldonado received an award from the Global Lyme Alliance in 2017. This was in recognition of her advocacy work on the disease.
- She appeared in an episode of the popular MTV show, Punk’d, in 2006.
- Her husband received the first David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014. The award is in recognition of his songwriting exploits.
- She featured in the music video for the 1999 hit song, Smooth. The Carlos Santana song, which also featured her hubby, received three Grammy Awards.