Julia Lemigova loves life as a new mother of four children.
On Saturday, November 23 The Real Housewives of Miami star (52) told PEOPLE about her two sons that she adopted with her husband Martina Navratilova (67).
“I’m sleep deprived, but I’m so happy,” Lemigova told PEOPLE at the 2024 Bravo Fan Fest in Miami. “It’s getting real because it’s only been three months, but it’s been a very intense, loving, amazing three months.”
She says adding little ones to the mix has changed things in her marriage to the tennis star. “When we got married, [Navratilova] she promised me, one of her vows was that she would get away from social media because she is always on Twitter [now X] and that it took her how many years of marriage to actually be less on social media because of the boys because now she doesn’t have time,” says Lemigova.
But she assures, Navratilova “loves it”.
RHOMJulia Lemigova and tennis player wife Martina Navratilova welcome two sons: ‘Over the Moon’
“She makes pancakes in the morning, takes them to school,” says Lemigova. “She’s so full of energy. When we first got them, we thought we were saving them, but in reality, we’re both saving each other. And seeing them, it’s like waking up in the morning with their little faces and what joy that brought to them our life is like [being] a new mother again suddenly after being an empty nester.”
Julia Lemigova and her wife Martina Navratilova.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty
Lemigova, who also has two daughters from two previous relationships, welcomed her sons with Navratilova after nearly 10 years of marriage, a representative for the couple confirmed to PEOPLE in August.
“We are determined because we recognize the challenges and rewards for everyone,” Navratilova shared in a statement to PEOPLE.
The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!
He made a couple Real Housewives history in 2021 as the first same-sex couple to appear in the franchise. At the time, Lemigova told NBC News that she was “overwhelmed[ed]” with the support she and Navratilova received after she was cast on the Bravo show.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/martina-navratilova-julia-lemigova-2-463e2852df9c4aa1b06c5de71ef14a3b.jpg)
Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova take a selfie in the royal box ahead of the women’s singles final on day thirteen of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on July 15, 2023.
Clive Brunskill/Getty
Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova: Everything about the marriage of a reality star and a tennis professional
During the 5th season RHOMLemigova said that she wants to adopt a child with Navratilova because her adult daughters, Victoria and Emma, have moved away. Their adoption plans were put on hold when Navratilova was diagnosed with stage 1 throat and breast cancer. RHOM season 5 reunion, Lemigova told host Andy Cohen that the time was not right for their family to adopt a child.
“When you adopt a child, it has to be about the child. And now everything is about Martina and her recovery. So we are putting it on hold,” said Lemigova. “You know, we thought at any moment that the agency would call us and tell us the happy news that we’re having a baby… instead we’re fighting two cancers.”
Navratilova announced that she was cancer-free in June 2023, and Lemigova said Page six in December that they are still not “closing the door” on their adoption plans.
Now they are moving on with their new normal life as a family of six. Lemigova tells PEOPLE at Bravo Fan Fest that because the adoption happened “so quickly,” her oldest children are going through “growing pains.”
“Even we weren’t ready for it. We literally got a phone call and jumped on a plane and arrived at our destination to pick them up. But I can’t wait to be together,” she says of her daughters, who live outside Miami. “We are a strong family. I hope one day the six of us will be in Miami for a long time instead of just a short holiday period. We are trying to move them back to Miami.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Real Housewives of Miami is available to stream on Peacock.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education