Yazemeenah Rossi, 70, stormed into the spotlight over a decade ago — and people couldn’t believe their eyes.
Her photos spread like wildfire, leaving many stunned by her striking looks, earning her the nickname “the world’s most beautiful grandmother.”
Now, in 2026, she’s still turning heads — and continues to inspire with her powerful message about aging, confidence, and redefining beauty.
“I failed to die..”
I am full of admiration for people who prove that age is just a number.
Whether the person climbs mountains, bikes, plays computer games, it warms my heart when I see elderly people challenging the general idea that age plays a role.
A shining example of this is 70-year-old Yazemeenah Rossi. She has been called “the world’s most beautiful grandmother” since 2015 — and she continues to impress with both her looks and her inspiring attitude toward aging today.
Yazemeenah, born on December 21, 1955 in Corsica, France, has been on magazine covers from around the world for decades. You might have even come across her in campaigns, appreciating her presence without necessarily pausing to consider her identity or age.
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But her life didn’t begin easily — something she has opened up about in interviews.
She has shared that she nearly didn’t survive as a newborn. “I failed to die when I born, I have been baptize at the clinic at 3 days as they thought I will not make it and put me under the ‘oxygen tend’ 2 weeks,” she said. The experience left a lasting impact, as she struggled with chronic bronchitis throughout her childhood.
She also grew up in modest conditions, separated from her parents until the age of 11 and raised by her grandparents in Corsica. Despite the hardships, she views that time as a gift. Living without running water or electricity brought her closer to nature — washing in rivers, growing food, hunting, fishing, and foraging — shaping a deep connection to the natural world that still influences her life today.
Began modeling by chance
Over the years, Yazemeenah been working as an actress and appeared in several movies such as Timeless Beauty, Relevator and The Grasslands.
At the outset of their modeling careers, aspiring models often find themselves compelled to work without compensation or for nominal fees, all in an effort to construct a substantial portfolio.
However, Yazemeenah’s breakthrough came comparatively swiftly, defying the norm in the industry.
The French model and actress did not begin her career in her teens like most models do — she embarked on modeling at an age when models usually retire.
She has said that she began modeling by chance at the age of 28, when she was already a mother of two children, aged 11 and 9. At the time, she had naturally “pepper and salt” hair — something that was quite unusual in the mid-1980s, especially for someone approaching 30.
Her early years in the industry were far from glamorous. She worked primarily as a fitting model for about a decade, which involved long hours and hard work rather than magazine covers or high-profile campaigns.
Alongside modeling, she took acting classes and gradually found small roles as an extra in films, as well as appearances in television commercials.
”I was a mother of two kids at 20, working from home, making clothes, knitting, interior design for friends and private clients. I knew since teen that I would never work in an office or stay at the same place through all my life, so even at the time when raising my children I was very active and independent,” she said in 2020.
Has she gone under the knife?
Although she managed to work continuously as a model during all these years, she says that the model industry remains primarily for the young.
”There was a time, some years ago, when I started to think things would gradually begin to change and we’d start to see more older models, but that did not happen. I do believe that men and women have the same concerns about growing old, although men might talk less about it. Nobody likes to see their skin give in to gravity. At the same time, growing old is something beautiful because you become stronger with the passing of time,” Yazemeenah told Vice.
“Age is definitely a state of mind. If you are connected with your inner child, you can recharge your batteries and keep that energy. You need to have a playful, adventurous, curious spirit,” she says, adding there are no real “magic tricks” to keep you looking youthful.
Many who look at this beautiful lady are convinced that she has gone under the knife. Some say that it’s impossible to look so beautiful and young when you are 70+.
”I haven’t had any cosmetic surgery so far. The idea of going under the knife when I am perfectly healthy doesn’t make much sense to me.”
Has two grandchildren
Over the years, the beautiful and timeless Yasmina Rossi has been praised for accepting and embracing her appearance just the way it was.
“I take oil and use it on my skin. I put rapeseed oil on my hair. I scrub my skin once a week with olive oil and fine sugar, and I eat an avocado a day and organic meat and fish,” she told The Potion Tree.
Today, Yazemeenah she has a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.
She is still active as a model and makes a point of taking care of herself. She has shared that she moved to New York City in 1999, where she was represented by Ford Models and experienced significant success in her career. After spending eight years in the city, she relocated to Malibu in 2007, drawn by a desire to live closer to nature and the ocean.
Since then, her connection to nature has only deepened. After years on the West Coast, she moved again two years ago to California’s high desert, where she now lives fully immersed in a natural, peaceful environment.
Yazemeenah Rossi practices yoga, regularly goes hiking in her local area, and uses a stationary bike workstation at home.
In December 2026, she will turn 71. But she isn’t going to be slowing down as she told The Daily Mail, ”I will model until the end of my life,” and added ”But it’s not about modeling, it’s about witnessing, witnessing beauty, energy makes us alive…”