One perk to marrying Richard Marx later in life? 'We don't have time' for stupid arguments, says Daisy Fuentes.
To a generation raised on ’90s MTV, Daisy Fuentes reigned as the cool, stylish big sister with the dream job — and killer bikini collection — that everyone envied. At 59, the TV host and model — who’s built a lifestyle empire over the last 20 years — still radiates that knowing, seen-it-all confidence and spark.
“It’s not easy to navigate through this second act in life,” Fuentes tells me in conversation for Yahoo’s Unapologetically series. “You’ve got to have thick skin. You’ve got to be ready. You’ve got to be ready to shed your old skin and step into your new role.”
One of the challenges of aging: recognizing that there are more years behind her than ahead.
“I’m aware that there are not that many versions [of me] left,” Fuentes says. “That part is really hard — realizing that all those other girls who I was, they don’t exist [anymore]. Who I am right now is really important, and if I don’t get it right, I don’t have that many chances left.”
That awareness keeps her focused on being the best version of herself — as a person and as the businesswoman behind her eponymous brand . It’s also shaped her later-in-life love story with singer Richard Marx, who she married nearly a decade ago; according to Fuentes, the couple don’t have time to argue about “stupid” things. And it helps her tune out the “noise” from the comment section chorus on social media, which she dismisses entirely.
Here’s what she says about why aging gracefully isn’t one-size-fits-all (and why she’s keeping her options open when it comes to plastic surgery).
You made history as MTV’s first Latina VJ in 1993 when representation was scarce. What were some of the challenges you faced early on?
There were misconceptions about who I was and what I was supposed to bring to the table. Everyone I met had a different expectation of who I [should] be as a young Hispanic American woman. At the time, I wasn’t as aware of it, and that may have helped me. Not being aware of my limitations — or of the judgment and personal agendas behind hiring me — made me less self-conscious about what I was doing. It [allowed me] to learn at my own pace and be authentic.
