Famous and legendary model Tatjana Patitz, who appeared on many magazine covers in the 1980s and was featured in George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” music video, has died at 56. She died in Santa Barbara, California, where her New York rep, Corinne Nicolas, at the Model CoOp agency confirmed that she died on January 11 due to breast cancer. The rep confirmed that Tatjana Patitz died, leaving her son, sister, and parents behind. Tatjana, born in Germany, raised in Sweden, and later made her home in California, was regarded as one of the “original” supermodels.

Along with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington. Many rising models of this generation know about the renowned model but may have missed some important facts about her, especially her personal life. Keep scrolling to learn more about Tatjana.

Legendary Model Tatjana Patitz Began Her Career As A Teenager

Like most successful models, Tatjana started her modeling career in 1983 when she was only 17. Shortly after, she started to make a living from it. In 1985, she made her debut on the front cover of British Vogue. She collaborated with photographer Peter Lindbergh for decades, and he was responsible for many of her most famous images. She has appeared in other now-famous fashion photographs, including a 1990 Vogue cover with other famous faces. Tatjana appeared in numerous runway shows throughout the 1990s and 2000s and advertisements for L’Oreal and photographs.

A post shared by Tatjana Patitz (@tatjanapatitz)

The Model Took On Some Movie Roles

Tatjana was an alluring model, and her beauty must have caught the attention of some movie producers. Hence, in addition to modeling, she took on some acting roles. She appeared in the movies Restraining Order and Rising Sun. She additionally made cameos as herself on The Larry Sanders Show and in the film Ready to Wear.

Despite her appearance in these movies, Tatjana’s acting was most well-known in music videos. She had notable appearances in the music videos for the songs “Skin Trade” and “Burning The Ground” in 1987 and 1989, respectively. Her final acting performance was in the 2000 music video for the song “Make Me Bad” by the nu-metal band Korn. Despite these appearances, according to IMDb, Tatjana may still be most known for her 1990 role in George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” music video.

She Had A Son

Legendary model Tatjana Patitz had one son, Jonah, who she welcomed in 2004. Tatjana has always desired to instill good morals into her son. During her conversation with 63 Magazine, she discussed her son’s importance to her. In the interview, she noted she would want Jonah to be an “empathetic person with a big heart out into the world.” She added that she would want him to always believe in himself and “to embody and articulate his own attitude and opinions.” In addition, Tatjana revealed that her son was her main source of happiness in life, while other people and things were more like balance. 

Tatjana Was Proud Of Her Wrinkles

Even as a model, Tatjana Patitz died without fear of becoming older. She spoke with assurance about growing older and expressed happiness that more ladies were doing so. She discussed the nostalgia for the 1990s in an interview in 2019. Also, in a 63 Magazine interview, the supermodel said she was glad about her aging process. “I’m happy with my wrinkles. I earned each one via my labor. Thus, they are mine,” she said. She also acknowledged that aging is beautiful as people tend to develop maturity and wisdom. Tatjana noted that she wouldn’t give away or modify herself to look younger, as she referred to aging as a gift.

She Was An Activist

In addition to her modeling career, Tatjana was a vocal supporter of animal rights. Thanks to the International Vegetarian Union, she even became a vegetarian. According to W Magazine, the supermodel was dedicated to advancing other social concerns, such as gender equality, HIV rights, rights for LGBTQ+ people, and animal rights. In a 2019 interview with Mercedes AMG’s 63 Magazine, she talked openly about her support for the American Wild Horses campaign.

Tatjana was such an inspiration when she lived. She will be greatly missed.