Lady Tabares Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Birth Name	Leidy María Tabares
Nickname	Rouse
Profession(s)	• Actor • Writer • Businesswoman
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 6" (168 cm)
Eye Colour	Brown
Hair Colour	Brown with Medium Golden Blonde Highlights
Career
Debut	Film: La vendedora de rosas (trans. The Rose Seller) (1998) as 'Mónica Rodriguez'
Awards	1998: Special Mention award at the Havana International Festival of New Latin American Cinema 1998: Palme d'Or for the film 'The Rose Seller' at the 51st Cannes Film Festival 1999: Best Actress award at Bratislava International Film Festival
Personal Life
Date of Birth	31 May 1982 (Monday)
Age (as of 2024)	42 Years
Birthplace	Medellín, Colombia
Zodiac sign	Gemini
Nationality	Colombian
Hometown	Medellín
School	Institución Universitaria ITM
Educational Qualification	High School Graduate
Religion	Christianity
Tattoo(s)	• On Both Arms: Multiple, including a rose on the right arm • On the Left Shoulder: A flower • On the Right-Side of the Back: A rose
Controversies	Time in Juvenile Detention: Lady Tabares was nine years old when she was detained for an alleged theft. She spent three months in a juvenile detention. [1]El Tiempo The Homicide and Robbery Case: In 2002, Lady Tabares and her partner Edison Castañeda were arrested for their involvement in the murder of a taxi driver named Oscar Gálvis during a robbery in Medellín. Tabares was accused of provoking teenagers to commit the crime and providing them with knives, although the victim died from a gunshot. Despite contradictions in the case, the Second Circuit Criminal Court convicted them and sentenced Lady to 26 years in prison on 10 April 2008. Tabares first served her time at 'El Buen Pastor' prison in Medellín but was later moved to the Valledupar prison, far from her family. Eventually, she was transferred back to Medellín and continued her sentence at El Pedregal prison. On 8 May 2014, Tabares was allowed to serve the rest of her sentence at home under house arrest. [2]La Vanguardia
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • YouTube
Relationships & More
Sexual Orientation	Lesbian
Marital Status	Divorced
Affairs/Boyfriends	• Ferney Mauricio Ortega (street vendor) (2000) (deceased) • Edison Castañeda (2002)
Affairs/Girlfriends	• Eliza Roldan aka Elisa Roldán (2015) • Cristina Londoño (2016)
Marriage Date	Year, 2017
Family
Wife/Spouse	Cristina Londoño (m. 2017; div. 2025)
Children	Son(s)- 2 • Fernando José Ortega Tabares (with Ferney Mauricio Ortega) • Julián Esteban Castañeda Tabares
Parents	Mother- María Magdalena Tabares aka Gloria Tabares (house help, street vendor)
Siblings	Brother- Brayan Tabares Sister- Angie Tabares (cosmetologist) Half-Sister- Liliana

Some Lesser Known Facts About Lady Tabares

• Lady Tabares was born in Medellín, Colombia, into a large family of ten siblings, most of whom had different fathers.

• She was three and a half years old when she went out with a friend and got lost on the streets in Medellín.

• Tabares grew up in a troubled environment in Medellín, where drug problems were common.

• At ten, Tabares begged for money on Medellín’s streets outside movie theatres. She was taken to an orphanage after being found abandoned by some nuns. Three years later, her family visited, but they left her there as they could not afford to care for her.
  

  A childhood picture of Lady Tabares

• By the age of 13, Tabares was selling roses on the streets to survive. She once caught the attention of filmmaker Víctor Gaviria, who cast her as a lead in his film ‘La vendedora de rosas’ (trans. The Rose Seller).
  

  Lady Tabares, along with Víctor Gaviria, during the making of the film ‘La vendedora de rosas’ (trans. The Rose Seller)

• The film ‘La vendedora de rosas’ highlighted the struggles of street teens in 1990s Medellín and was inspired by the real-life story of Tabares, who lived on the streets. To make it realistic, Gaviria cast non-professional actors.

• ‘La vendedora de rosas’ became a huge success in Columbia after its release in 1998. Tabares’ performance in the film was highly appreciated by the viewers and critics.

• On 13 May 1998, ‘La vendedora de rosas’ was premiered at Cannes, where it received a standing ovation.
  

  Lady Tabares (second from the left), along with actor Giovanni Quiroz (extreme left) and director Víctor Gaviria (second from the right) at the 51st Cannes Film Festival

• During the team’s stay at a mansion for Cannes, jewellery belonging to the press chief’s assistant’s grandmother went missing. Both Lady and Quiroz were suspected but later denied involvement. The Jewellery was eventually recovered, though the mystery of the culprit remained unsolved.

• Later, Colombian journalist Yamid Amat started a campaign to help Tabares get a home in Medellín. She chose a second-floor house with a terrace in the Puerto Bello neighbourhood of north Medellín; she lived in that house for five years.

• Tabares’ fame from ‘La vendedora de rosas’ was short-lived as she returned to selling roses on streets later.

• In 1999, she played the role of ‘Lady Rojas’ in the television series ‘La Guerra de las Rosas,’ which aired on Caracol Channel. The series was based on Tabares’ life journey.
  

  A poster of the television series ‘La Guerra de las Rosas’ (1999)

• In 2000, Lady met Ferney Mauricio Ortega, a street vendor who sold pens and was well-known in the neighbourhood for his intimidating reputation. He had a criminal history and had been to prison multiple times for theft, murder, and drug-related offences.

• Lady and Ferney later began dating and had a son together. They lived in her small room on a terrace. Ferney was a jealous man who often abused Lady and sometimes became violent.
  

  Lady Tabares and Ferney Mauricio Ortega with their son, Fernando José Ortega Tabares

• In October 2001, Ferney was murdered at Lady’s home by armed men. He was shot multiple times in front of her and their son.

• In August 2002, Lady and her then-boyfriend Edison Castañeda were convicted in a murder case of a taxi driver.

• In 2003, writer Edgar Domínguez Cataño published the book ‘Leidy Tabares, La Niña Que Vendía Rosas’ based on Tabares’ life.
  

  The cover page of the book ‘Leidy Tabares, La Niña Que Vendía Rosas’

• Tabares met Elisa Roldán in 2005 while both were in El Buen Pastor prison in Medellín. After years of no contact, Elisa reconnected with Tabares in 2015 after learning she had been granted house arrest.
  

  Lady Tabares giving an interview during her time in jail

• During her time in prison in 2009, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

• Tabares and Elisa fell in love with each other over time, and on Tabares’ birthday on 31 May 2015, they made their relationship official.

• During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lady and her family faced tough times, struggling to afford food and pay bills despite receiving help from director Víctor Gaviria.

• In 2022, Lady played the role of ‘Mrs. Rivera’ in a short film titled ‘La Balada de las Crayolas.’
  

  Lady Tabares as ‘Mrs. Rivera’ in a still from the short film ‘La Balada de las Crayolas’ (2022)

• In 2025, she appeared as a contestant on the reality show ‘La Casa de los Famosos Colombia (LCFC) 2,’ which aired on Canal RCN.
  

  Lady Tabares in a still from the reality show ‘La Casa de los Famosos Colombia (LCFC) 2 (2025)

• Tabares believes in contributing to society and runs ‘Papá Giovanny-Vendedora de Rosas Foundation,’ which supports the homeless in Barrio Triste, Medellín.

• She owns a clothing brand called ‘Lady Rouse.’
  

  Lady Tabares’ Instagram post about her brand ‘Lady Rouse’

• Tabares is an avid animal lover and has a pet cat.
  

  Lady Tabares’ Instagram post about her pet cat

• She loves travelling and often shares her travel experiences on social media.
  

  A picture of Lady Tabares from one of her vacations

• Lady enjoys reading and has a good collection of novels. On social media, she frequently posts reviews of the novels she reads.
  

  Lady Tabares’ Instagram post about the novel ‘El Siciliano (trans. The Sicilian), written by Mario Puzo 

• She consumes alcohol occasionally.
  

  Lady Tabares while having wine