Valentina Ivanova Zuvareff was a Mexican dancer most famed for her marriage to the comedian, Cantinflas. The pair got married in 1936 and were together until her death in 1966 after battling bone cancer.
It’s been over two decades since Valentina passed on but curiosity is still drawn to her life, family background, marriage, and whatnot. This is so because her husband was one of the most celebrated comedians, actors, and filmmakers throughout Latin America and Spain. It’s only fair that his wife also got some attention. Here’s all to know.
A Brief Biography of Valentina Ivanova Zuvareff
Valentina Ivanova Zuvafeff grew up in Mexico and spent most of her life in the United States however, she is originally from Russia and .was born on October 27, 1915. Her parents Ivan Zubarev and Anita Ivanoff fled to Mexico when she was 4 years old following the Russian Civil War in 1919.
Growing up, she joined the family entertainment team as a dancer alongside her mother and sisters Olga Ivanova and Tamara Ivanova. They performed mostly at the family’s traveling theatre company, Carpa Valentina, and were named the Trio Zubareff.
Cantinflas Ex-wife Was a Dancer
As hinted already, Valentina was a dancer at the Carpa Valentina traveling theatre company which was founded by her parents. The company later became very popular as other celebrated entertainers joined including her husband who was the life of their events.
Cantinflas was a comedian who was greatly loved by his audience for his sense of humor and Mexican linguistic features of intonation, vocabulary, and syntax. His popularity grew across several Spanish-speaking countries especially Latin America and Spain.
While he continued to capture the hearts of many through his plays. His wife gave up dancing after their marriage.
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Valentina Ivanova Zuvareff and Cantinflas Got Married in 1937
Valentina Ivanova Zuvareff and Cantinflas were a couple for over 3 decades. While the exact time the pair met isn’t known, we can establish that it was at the Carpa Valentina traveling theatre company that they met. At the time, she was working as a dancer while the comedian was there for a performance and they were introduced by a mutual friend.
Valentina and Cantinflas soon became friends and later started a relationship that saw them exchange vows in 1936. According to the former dancer, her husband stole her heart through his charisma. Their wedding ceremony was held in Mexico City and attended by a number of close friends and family members.
The pair were together for several years but didn’t birth any children rather they adopted a son named Mario Arturo Moreno who was born sometime in 1961. However, speculations made waves that Mario was in fact the biological son of Cantinflas with an unidentified woman. Nonetheless, this news was never confirmed or refuted by the comedian. Unfortunately, Mario died on May 14, 2017, after suffering a heart attack at the age of 57.
Valentina’s Death in 1966 brought an End to their Marriage
There have been false reports that Valentina and her husband Cantinflas had a divorce. However, this isn’t true. We garnered that the couple was together until death separated them.
As you would find, Cantinflas’ wife was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 51 and quickly began treatment but unfortunately, she lost her battle with cancer on January 5, 1966, at the age of 51.
Following this, her husband channeled his grief into his career in the entertainment industry while he honored her memories until his death on April 20 1993 at the age of 82. His death was mourned by fans all over the world and his legacy in the industry is still celebrated until this day.
