Name Christina Aguilera (married name Christina Aguilera Bratman)

Birth name Christina Maria Aguilera

Date of birth 18 December 1980

Star sign Sagittarius

Birthplace Staten Island, New York, USA

Height 5ft 1½in

Eye colour Blue

Marriages Jordan Bratman, 19 November 2005

Children Max Liron Bratman, born 12 January 2008

Biography

With worldwide sales of more than 37 million, Christina Aguilera is one of the most successful recording artists of the 2000s.

Born in Staten Island, New York, Christina became estranged from her allegedly abusive father after her parents separated when she was six. After appearing on US talent show Star Search, Christina became a Mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1993 alongside fellow future pop stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

She got her break five years later when she recorded Reflection for the soundtrack of animated movie Mulan and in 1999 she released her self-titled debut album, which featured hits such as Genie In A Bottle and What A Girl Wants.

Christina got one over her pop-princess rival Britney at the 2000 Grammys when she clinched Best New Artist and she continued to up her raunch rating in Moulin Rouge! hit Lady Marmalade, joining forces with Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink.

Despite her follow-up album, Stripped, going multi-platinum, Christina began to draw criticism for her overly sexual performances and videos – notably her 2002 No.1 hit Dirrty and her shock kiss with Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.

But marriage to record producer Jordan Bratman in 2005 appeared to tame Christina’s sex-kitten side. On her third English album, Back To Basics, she adopted a Jean Harlow-type, old Hollywood glamour style and launched a 2007 world tour after picking up another Grammy – this time for Ain’t No Other Man.

Christina has kept a low profile since the birth of her first child, Max, in January 2008 but has still found time to guest star in Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones film Shine A Light.

Quotes

‘We’re so labelled. If you’re too sexual, you’re slutty. If you’re not sexual enough, you’re a prude. I like to put it out there as a topic of conversation. Why does it bother you? What’s your problem with it? Am I really hurting you? Let’s get to the root of it.’ (Marie Claire, January 2008)

‘You think you’ve accomplished all these amazing things until you have your first born or even your second born and it’s like you can’t believe what you’ve done, what you’re capable of doing.’ (People.com, 7 February 2008)

‘What is so wrong with a 22-year-old woman showing her sexuality? If people want to insult me, let them. Call me a slag. If being a slag means being a strong woman, I’ll gladly be that.’ (Zoo)

‘I am a perfectionist by nature, I’m an organizational freak. My label maker is my best friend. It’s to the point where sometimes it annoys even me.’ (USAweekend.com)

‘… everyone wants me to be this role model. But nobody is perfect and nobody can live up to that. I’m living my life.’ (Rollingstone.com)