Martina Navratilova is a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community ever since she came out as a lesbian. She was in a few relationships before she met Julia Lemigova. Lemigova herself had dated a few people and had children from a previous relationship before she met Navratilova. However, it was difficult for Lemigova to be comfortable with the relationship at first. She said that the American tennis legend had helped her before she even met her.

Navratilova helped Lemigova more after the two were together. Her bold demeanor helped the former Russian model to become comfortable in showing affection in public.

Julia Lemigova was inspired by Martina Navratilova before she met her

The former Miss USSR recently opened up to the Daily Mail UK about how she and Navratilova dealt with the former world number 1’s cancer diagnosis. She also talked about the time she came out and how her relationships with women were inspired by Navratilova before she even met the tennis player.

Navratilova came out first in 1981 as bisexual, then re-identified herself as lesbian. However, the Czech-American former player was never shy about her sexuality. She has openly shown her support for the LGBTQ+ community ever since she came out. She even spoke before the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation.

Lemigova stated that the Czech-American tennis legend was not her first relationship with a woman. But she served as an image of inspiration for her. “Martina was not my first relationship with a woman, but she definitely played a role in my previous relationships.”

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She went on to talk about the time she left the country. She was 18 years old and was not thinking about her sexuality at all. Lemigova said, “I was 18 when I left Russia. At that age, I wasn’t really asking myself [about my sexuality]. No one talked about it. It was taboo. When I saw Martina on TV and read about the way she came out — how normal it was to be gay, how there doesn’t have to be a difference between straight couples and gay couples, you’re just a couple — she made it much easier for me to think it was normal to have a secret relationship with a woman.“

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The two met for the first time in 2000, but it was only in 2008 they started dating. As times became more accepting, it also became easier for the two to show their love for each other in public.