Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes ‘Lola’ Leon Opens Up About Paying For College Tuition — Says She Isn’t A ‘Talentless Rich Kid’

Aug 11, 2021 by apost team

Madonna's eldest — and first biological child — is 24-year-old Lourdes "Lola" Maria Ciccone Leon. Madonna had Lola with her ex, Carlos Leon, who is a Cuban actor. The pair met in 1994 when Carlos worked as the star's personal trainer and welcomed their daughter two years later on Oct. 14, 1996.

In a 2019 interview with Vogue, Madonna talked about how her two biological children, Rocco and Lola, took on some of her characteristics. When talking about Lola, Madonna said her daughter "is insanely talented."

"I'm green with envy because she's incredible at everything she does — she's an incredible dancer, she's a great actress, she plays the piano beautifully, she's way better than me in the talent department," she added.

Lola usually keeps a low-profile compared to her mom, but paparazzi pictures of her attending events never fail to spark conversation about how much she looks more and more like her mom. And anybody can see that she's inherited Madonna's gorgeous eyes and facial structure.

But it isn't Lola's good looks or fashion sense that is sparking conversation this month; it's her feature in the September 2021 issue of Vogue Magazine.

Apart from the honor and prestige that come with being on the cover of the fashion magazine, Lola is also making waves with her interview for the cover story. One of the most striking things that Lola told Vogue is that she paid for college herself and isn't as spoiled as some might think. She also emphasized that she's purposefully living away from Hollywood, where the paparazzi are more prevalent.

"People think I'm this talentless rich kid who's had everything given to her, but I'm not," Lola told the magazine, adding that she paid for her own college tuition at the University of Michigan's school of dance. Lola attended the university from 2014-2018.

Lola also spoke to her love of dance, which she no doubt picked up from her father, Carlos Leon, who currently works as a professional dancer in New York, according to Hello! Magazine.

"A teacher of mine made me understand movement in a whole new way. You're using your body to define the space around you — to change it That's a very naked form of expression," Lola, who lives in Bushwick, told Vogue.

The magazine's cover story doesn't just feature Lola, however. Titled "Generation America: The Models Changing an Industry," the piece interviews eight models, including Bella Hadid, Anok Yai, Sherri Shi and Yumi Nu.

Lola posted a photo of the cover, which features all eight models, on her Instagram account, where she received thousands of likes from fans around the world. As the title suggests, the magazine selected the eight models for their new ideas surrounding the beauty, modeling and fashion industries.

"Lola Leon, daughter of Madonna, has followed in her mother’s footsteps as a dancer and an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, but in all other respects stubbornly insists on cutting her own path. Yai, born in Egypt while her family awaited political asylum in the U.S. and now a muse to designers such as Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, took up martial arts during the pandemic but also likes to paint, drawing inspiration from Renaissance masters," the piece reads.

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"A similar creative streak runs through Sherry Shi, though her taste favors anime — she might become an animator, she says. Yumi Nu is a singer-songwriter who just released the summery single 'Pots & Pans' and plans on launching an ethical plus-size clothing line," the piece continues.

Lola's feature in Vogue shows that she's trying to carve her own path in life despite her mother's international fame. Speaking to Vogue in 2019, Madonna even expressed some concern for her daughter and the fame, telling the magazine that Lola "doesn’t have the same drive" as she did.

"I feel social media plagues her and makes her feel like, ‘People are going to give me things because I’m her daughter.’ I try to give her examples of other children of celebrities like Zoë Kravitz, for instance, who have to work through that ‘Oh yeah, you’re the daughter of…’ — and then eventually you are taken seriously for what you do. You just have to keep going. But does she have the same drive that I have? No. But she also has a mother, and I didn’t. She grew up with money, and I didn’t. So everything is going to be different. But what can I do? I can’t fixate on it. I just have to do my best," Madonna explained.

Perhaps Madonna has changed her mind by now, given her daughter's newfound independence, which includes living on her own in New York, paying for college and appearing in a Vogue feature. But only time will tell what this ambitious 24-year-old will do — and we're excited for the future.

What do you think of Lola's comments? Do you agree more with her or her mother? Let us know — and be sure to pass this story on to others.