For all her name and fame as an actress, singer, and model, it took a presidential campaign to put Angelica Rivera on the map. Today, River is best known as the ex-wife of the former President of Mexico, President Enrique Peña Nieto. The pair remained together for 11 years and Rivera went as far as to put her artistic career on hold and help Nieto succeed as the Governor of the State of Mexico and later as the President of Mexico. But for all her artistic prowess and her subsequent roles as the First Lady of Mexico, not much is known about Rivera, and details on her life have barely been revealed to the media. So, for this article, we will take a closer look at the wiki-bio of Angelica Rivera. 

Early Life:

Angélica Rivera Hurtado was born on the 2nd of August 1969 in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City. Born to Maria Eugenia Hurtado and Manuel Rivera, Rivera comes from a large family and has a brother, Manuel, and four sisters, Carolina, Adriana, Elisa Rivera, and Maritza. Born and raised in Mexico City, not much is known about Rivera’s early life. Details on her alma matter were never revealed to the media and what’s known is scattered all over the place. 

Professional Career:

Long before Rivera took the reins of Nieto’s campaign to help him succeed as the President of Mexico, she worked as a model. Her interest in acting piqued during her early years as she had a random encounter with actress Verónica Castro, who encouraged Rivera to compete in “The Face of the Herald.” Rivera did as she was asked to and won the competition at just 17 years of age. 

After nabbing the title in 1987, Rivera starred as a model in the video Ahora Te Puedes Marchar with Luis Miguel. Following her work as a video model, Rivera was featured in two TV and radio commercials. She was also featured in the TNT video program hosted by Martha Aguayo.

Rivera began her career as an actress in 1989 when she was cast in a small role in Dulce Desafío. One thing led to another, and Rivera tasted massive success from her various roles in series like Simplemente Maria, Mi Pequeña Soledad, and La Picara Soñadora. But for all her early success, Rivera’s greatest roles came in the second half of her career. Her portrayal of Silvana in Alcanzar Una Estrella II,  Marcia in the soap opera Mariana de la Noche, and Gaviota en Destilando amor. Her work as Gaviota was so successful that Rivera is often known as “La Gaviota.”

First Lady of Mexico:

When she first met Nieto, he was already the governor of Mexico State. So, Rivera put her career on hold and helped Nieto win the 2012 presidential election. She took on the role of the First Lady of Mexico and served as the President of the Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia.

While Rivera’s stint as the first lady has been on point, she was involved in a scandal in a housing scandal. In November 2014, it was reported that her $7 million house in Lomas de Chapultepec was registered under the name of a company affiliated with a business group that had received government contracts. This showed a conflict of interest and while Rivera released her income source as a soap opera actress and stated that she had yet to fully pay for the house, the people didn’t believe her. 

Net Worth:

In 2014 Forbes listed Rivera among the ranks of foreign Millionaires owning real estate in the United States. Rivera’s ocean-front luxury condominium in Key Biscayne, Florida was estimated at a value of $3.3 million in 2014. As of 2023, Rivera has a net worth estimated to be around $20 Million.

Personal Life:

Prior to meeting Nieto, Rivera was married to Mexican director and producer José Alberto Castro. The pair tied the knot on the 11th of December 1994 and had three daughters, Angélica Sofía Castro (born 1996), Fernanda Castro (born 1999), and Regina Castro(born 2005). The pair divorced in 2008.

Caption: Angela Rivera’s first husband José Alberto Castro & eldest daughter Sofía Castro

Rivera married Enrique Peña Nieto, then Governor of the State of Mexico, on 27 November 2010. The pair stayed together for 9 years before calling things off in 2019.

Children:

Although Rivera enjoyed nine years of marriage to former Mexican President Peña Nieto, the pair did not have any children together. All her three children are from her first marriage to José Alberto Castro. The eldest daughter Angélica Sofía has followed in her footsteps in the entertainment industry. She is an actress with her most memorable role coming in the TV series El Dragón: Return of a Warrior. Sofia also helms as the art director of the short film La Breve Mañana de Ana y Martín. Rivera’s middle child Fernanda Castro is a musician and blessed with a melodious voice. Her youngest Regina Castro is currently a 17-year-old student and has years to catch up if she decides to pursue a career in entertainment.

A quick bio of Enrique Peña Nieto:

Enrique Peña Nieto is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the President of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. He was born on July 20, 1966, in Atlacomulco, Mexico.

Peña Nieto began his political career as a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in the late 1980s and held a number of positions within the party and the Mexican government. In 2005, he was elected as the Governor of the State of Mexico and served in that role until 2011.

In 2012, Peña Nieto won the presidential election and took office on December 1, 2012. During his presidency, he implemented a number of reforms, including reforms to the energy sector, education, and telecommunications. He also launched a number of initiatives aimed at reducing crime and violence in the country.

However, Peña Nieto’s presidency was also marked by a number of controversies, including allegations of corruption and human rights abuses by the Mexican government and security forces. He faced criticism for his handling of the disappearance and probable massacre of 43 students in Iguala, Guerrero in 2014.

Peña Nieto’s presidency ended on November 30, 2018, and he was succeeded by Andrés Manuel López Obrador. After leaving office, he has remained active in Mexican politics and has continued to play a prominent role in the PRI.

Wiki/Bio Facts: