The dream of being the living version of Barbie’s boyfriend brought fame, but it came at too high a price
Fans of the most famous doll couple are delighted with the film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken. The romantic comedy will hit theaters in July 2023.
In Brazil, some boys have resorted to various procedures to maintain the face and body of the doll created in 1961 in the United States.
Born in Araxá, Celso Santebañes spent 2014 in the media for embodying the character. He has participated in several TV shows, attended events and was preparing the launch of his toy, the Celso doll.
Sao Paulo-based, Minas Gerais-born has used his media exposure to try and capitalize on his acting career. He was in drama school and wanted to save money to try his luck in Los Angeles. He dreamed of acting in Hollywood productions.
It all began to unravel in January 2015, when he received confirmation of the diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia after tests prescribed by a doctor due to an infection caused by the hydrogel being injected into parts of his body.
He immediately changed his art schedule for chemotherapy sessions. She shared the daily treatment with fans. Celsus believed in healing and even began writing a book about the battle against cancer.
He had the support of his girlfriend, model Jennifer Pamplona, known as Susi Humana for being the flesh and blood version of the rival Barbie doll.
His health deteriorated before he could receive the long-awaited bone marrow transplant. In May he was admitted to the Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Uberlândia.
Weakened, he contracted bacterial pneumonia. He needed to be sedated and machine controlled breathing. On the afternoon of May 4 of that year, Santebañes died at the age of 20.
The wake attracted hundreds of people to Araxá. The human miner Ken was buried next to his older brother, Celimar, who died years earlier, aged 18, victim of a virus.
The family suffered another loss later on. A month and a half after the farewell to Celso, his father, the 52-year-old gardener Célio died of serious injuries sustained by the accident.
Santebañes had a fight in the press with another Ken, Maurício Galdi. The Paulista, a graduate in Marketing and with a record as a professional actor, has invested in dozens of procedures – from work on the nose to reshaping the eye area – to look more like the Mattel doll.
He managed to have an international career. She was part of the cast of the reality shows ‘House of Dolls’ and ‘Plastics of Hollywood’, in the United States, along with other people transformed into characters. He has also appeared in TV shows of European channels.
At the height of his fame, Galdi had an eye disease and collapsed from severe depression. He ended up being choked with success and the pressure to maintain a perfect look.
He stopped being the Brazilian Ken and sought refuge with his family. He moved to the Espirito Santo. Today, at 33, he has a life less exposed in the media.
The third Brazilian “human puppet” to experience a drama was Rodrigo Alves. He has projected himself internationally with infinite aesthetic corrections to look more and more like Barbie’s boyfriend.
Victim of childhood bullying for being “chubby and ugly”, in his words, the Sao Paulo model saw in the figure of Ken the possibility of achieving desired self-acceptance and, at the same time, showing the world that he could adapt to the standard of beauty demanded by society.
Having already been famous for his 80 surgeries, he took the courage to make another radical change: he declared himself transgender. Rodrigo became Jessica.
She gained voluminous breasts, a sassy butt, curves and long hair. A “charged” Barbie. She also resigned sexually and now has a female sex organ.
She recently underwent surgery on her vocal cords to have a voice more suited to her new gender identity. Plans to be more daring: undergo a uterus transplant. She dreams of having a child. At 39, she finally feels happy with herself.
Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
