Who is Osmel Sousa? His Age, Height, Net Worth. Is He Gay?

Osmel Sousa is a Venezuelan beauty pageant expert, and a former president of the Miss Venezuela Organization.

Osmel Sousa Wiki: Age, Childhood, and Education

Osmel Ricardo Sousa Mansilla was born on 26 June 1946, in Rodas, a town near Cienfuegos, Cuba. According to reports, Osmel has roots in Galician heritage.

Growing up in Rodas, Sousa encountered the challenges of a deficit in learning and memory retention. Despite these early hurdles, his life took a turn for the better when in 1959, his family decided to relocate to Maracaibo, Venezuela. Where he found himself involved in the family furniture business.

It was during this time that he crossed paths with Lupita Ferrer, a meeting that would prove critical in his career. As he ventured into the world of theater in Caracas, Sousa initially explored acting alongside notable figures such as Ferrer, Miguel Ángel Landa, and others. However, facing challenges with memory retention, Sousa transitioned his focus from acting to advertising.

Career Beginnings

In 1966, alongside Ignacio Font Coll, he started working at “OPPA Publicidad” as an advertising draftsman. He designed various accessories such as bracelets and necklaces, being the creator of the famous necklace that Peggy Kopp wore to win Miss Venezuela in 1968.

In 1969, Osmel Sousa joined the Venezuelan Committee of Beauty. His initial role paved the way for a transition to the OPPA Advertising Agency, which would later become the Miss Venezuela Organization. Specializing in advising and designing for contestants, Sousa quickly made his mark.

Rise To Stardom

Sousa committed to advising specific contestants who went on to win the Miss Venezuela crown, debuting as the designer of evening gowns for many participants in the Miss Venezuela 1970 edition.

As a coach, he achieved victories with Jeannette Donzella, Maritza Pineda, Elluz Peraza, Antonieta Cámpoli, Maritza Sayalero, and many others. In October 1981, after the death of Ignacio Font Coll, Venevisión acquired Miss Venezuela, and Sousa became the president of the competition. Known as the “Zar of Beauty”, he has been considered a driving force, leading to the success of numerous Venezuelan women in Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth.

Continued Success

In 1996, Sousa initiated and assumed the direction of the Míster Venezuela franchise, responsible for selecting a Venezuelan representative for Míster Mundo. In 1998, after preparing candidate Sandro Finoglio, Venezuela achieved its first victory in Míster Mundo – Ernesto Calzadilla won the competition, and the following year, he became Manhunt International 1999. No Míster Venezuela representative achieved another international triumph until 2017, when Gabriel Correa became Míster Supranational.

“Our Latin Beauty” Show (Nuestra Belleza Latina)

Starting from 2007, Osmel served as the president of the jury in the reality show Nuestra Belleza Latina, produced by the Hispanic network Univision in the United States. The judging panel witnessed changes over the years; in 2008, he was joined by Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones, and actor/model Julián Gil. Gil was replaced the following year by Jorge Aravena, while Lupita remained until 2013. Furthermore, Jencarlos Canela became part of the panel in 2014, and in 2015, stylist Jomari Goyso and Mexican actress and model Jacqueline Bracamontes also joined. In 2016, Jomari Goyso exited, and actor Daniel Arenas took his place until 2017. Osmel left the reality show in 2018 – during his time as the host of the show, Osmel was accused of pimping models for politicians and businessmen.

Retirement from the Miss Venezuela Organization

On February 6, 2018, he announced through his Instagram account his retirement from the Miss Venezuela Organization (Miss Venezuela and Míster Venezuela), expressing gratitude to entrepreneur Gustavo Cisneros after decades of participation.

 

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A post shared by Osmel Sousa (@zardelabelleza)

Miss Argentina and Miss Uruguay

In early July 2019, Osmel Sousa announced through his social media that he would assume the direction of the Miss Universe Argentina and Miss Universe Uruguay beauty pageants. In June 2020, he decided not to continue with Miss Uruguay, only remaining with the direction of Miss Argentina, but in 2021, he also resigned from the directorship of Miss Argentina.

Acting

During the 1960s, motivated by Lupita Ferrer, Sousa studied acting in Caracas and Maracaibo. He graduated from the Horacio Peterson Acting Academy, participating in numerous theatrical works alongside renowned actors such as Miguel Ángel Landa, Eduardo Serrano, Luis Abreu, Gilberto Correa and Soraya Sanz. One of his early theatrical works was “Gigi” in 1963 with Ferrer. However, due to difficulties in memorizing script texts because of attention deficit, he distanced himself from acting in 1965 to focus on designing and stylizing sketches.

In 1977, he resumed acting in the successful Venezuelan film “Los tracaleros”, in which he had a small role. In 1997, he acted in the telenovela “El perdón de los pecados de Román Chalbaud”, and in 2004, he worked on the successful telenovela “Cosita Rica“, portraying a more caricatured and dramatic version of himself.

In 2023, he appeared in the film “Mi abuela está loca de remate” produced by 11-11 Producciones.

Modeling

Sousa was a prominent model in Venezuela, participating in various fashion shows and gracing magazine covers alongside his friend Carlos Julio Ohep. Some of his most prominent works include modeling for José Sigala in artistic nude photographs throughout the ’70s.

Controversies

Sousa has been involved in controversies related to plastic surgeries and aesthetic touch-ups in Misses Venezuela and Místers Venezuela, sent to different beauty pageants in which they achieved victories. In 1979, Maritza Sayalero, the first Venezuelan contestant to win Miss Universe, admitted to having undergone rhinoplasty as part of her preparation.

Sousa subjected Jictzad Viña to several surgeries for Miss Venezuela 2005, including rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and the use of contact lenses. Sousa changed the way Miss and Míster Venezuela achieved success and public attitudes toward plastic surgery. In Venezuela and other countries, plastic surgery gained much broader acceptance and even became fashionable thanks to the success contestants achieved.

In recent years, Sousa has been involved in controversies related to the adoption of children by same-sex parents, a stance with which he disagrees. He has said on many occasions that his parents have subjected him to hormonal treatment to make him “more masculine” due to his sexual orientation.

Net Worth

According to authoritative sources, Osmel Sousa’s net worth is estimated at $20 million, as of late 2023.

Personal Life, Marriage, Wife, Children, Is He Gay?

Osmel Sousa has been very secretive about his personal life. As a result, there is no reliable information, though some sources state that he’s single, has never married, and doesn’t have children. This has led to a few rumors, including him being gay, but there is no official statement confirming it.

Appearance and Body Measurements

Osmel Sousa has blonde hair and blue eyes. He stands at a height of 5ft 7ins (1.7m), while he weighs approximately 150lbs (67kgs). His vital statistics are unknown.