What is Alicia Machado’s Net Worth?
Alicia Machado is a Venezuelan-American actress, television personality, singer, and former beauty queen who has a net worth of $4 million. After being crowned Miss Venezuela 1995, Alicia Machado rose to global fame when she was crowned Miss Universe 1996. As an actress, she is known for her starring roles in such television series as “Samantha,” “Infierno en el paraíso,” and “La Madame.”
Early Life
Yoseph Alicia Machado Fajardo was born on December 6, 1976, in Maracay, Venezuela.
Beauty Pageants
In 1995, Machado came to national attention when she won the Miss Maracay beauty pageant and then the Miss Venezuela pageant. She rose to global fame the next year when she was crowned Miss Universe 1996. In preparation for that pageant, Machado underwent extreme dieting and became anorexic and bulimic in the process. She gained back about 12 pounds after she won, causing undue attention from the press that snowballed into a scandal. In 2016, Alicia Machado gained international attention after being mentioned by Hillary Clinton at the first Presidential debate of 2016. Clinton used Machado as an example to highlight Donald Trump’s sexism. Reportedly, when Machado was Miss Universe, a pageant that was formerly owned by Trump, he made racist and sexist remarks about her, including calling her “Ms Piggy” and “Ms Housekeeping”.
Television Career
In 1998, Machado made her major acting debut playing the titular character in the Venezuelan telenovela “Samantha.” The next year, she starred in the Mexican telenovela “Infierno en el paraíso.” Machado went on to star in the Venezuelan telenovela “Mambo y Canela” in 2002. A few years later, she made her reality television debut as a contestant on the second season of “La Granja.” Machado generated controversy on the show when she had sex in front of the camera with fellow contestant Fernando Acaso, even though she was engaged to another man, Bob Abreu. In 2006, Machado competed on the second season of the Mexican singing competition show “Cantando por un sueño.” The following year was a big one for her, as she starred on the first season of “El Pantera,” appeared in the mini-telenovela “Amor sin maquillaje,” and served as one of the three judges on the first season of the beauty pageant series “Nuestra Belleza Latina.” Machado returned to telenovelas in 2009 with a supporting role in “Hasta que el dinero nos separe” and a guest role in “Atrévete a soñar.” From 2011 to 2012, she acted in the Mexican comedic telenovela “Una familia con suerte.”
In 2012, Machado competed on the third season of the dance competition show “Mira quién baila,” and came in third place. The next year, she starred as the titular character in the telenovela “La Madame.” In 2014, Machado returned to the “Nuestra Belleza Latina” series to serve as a mentor and team leader for the contestants. She went on to appear in the Mexican telenovela “Lo imperdonable” in 2015. Machado didn’t have many major roles on television over the subsequent years. She became more prolific in the early 2020s, when she competed on “MasterChef Celebrity México” and the first season of “La casa de los famosos,” a Spanish-language version of “Celebrity Big Brother.” Machado ended up winning “La casa de los famosos.” She later returned to the show as a panelist for seasons two and five. Meanwhile, in 2023, she appeared in the Telemundo series “Juego de mentiras” and starred in the Mexican reality series “Secretos de las indomables.” Machado went on to compete on the third season of the Telemundo competition series “Top Chef VIP” in 2024. The following year, she served as a team captain in the new Telemundo reality series “Miss Universe Latina, el reality.”
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Film and Stage
On film, Machado has acted in such titles as “Cansada de besar sapos” and “Dios o demonio.” Her stage credits include “Un amante a la medida,” “Hairspray,” and “Divinas.”
Controversies
In 1998, Machado caused a media scandal when she was accused of threatening to murder the judge who was presiding over her case, which concerned her then-boyfriend being charged with attempted murder. Additionally, Machado was accused of driving her boyfriend’s getaway car after the crime. She was ultimately never charged. Machado sparked more controversy in 2025 when she made racist comments during a livestream about Miss Universe Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil.
Personal Life
Machado previously dated Venezuelan former MLB player Bobby Abreu, to whom she got engaged. The pair broke up after Machado was seen having sex with another man on reality television. In 2016, Machado became a US citizen, and in 2019 she talked openly about being bisexual. She has one daughter.
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