Lyn May, a Chinese-Mexican showgirl, appeared in nearly a hundred films and enchanted both audiences and presidents alike. Dubbed “The Goddess of Love,” her life took an unexpected turn in the early 1990s when a routine Botox procedure went tragically wrong, permanently changing her appearance.
Lyn’s early years were marked by hardship. Born Lilia Guadalupe Mendiola Mayares in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1952, she helped support her family by selling souvenirs to tourists. During her time as a waitress, she fell in love with an American sailor who was thirty years her senior. After relocating to Mexico City and having two children together, their relationship ended when Lyn accused him of abuse.
After her divorce, Lyn embarked on a dance career in Acapulco. Her distinctive style quickly caught the attention of television producers, leading to her appearances on the hit show Siempre en Domingo. Gaining fame, she was approached by Enrique Lombardini to join burlesque shows at Teatro Esperanza Iris. Lyn embraced this style, which made her a star in the Ficheras films of the 1970s and 1980s, earning her the title “Lyn May: The Goddess of Love.” However, as the box office success of these films waned, her popularity began to decline.
In the late 1990s, Lyn made a successful comeback, reminding audiences of her timeless appeal with roles in music videos, TV shows, and documentaries. While her public persona was bold, her personal life was tumultuous. After divorcing her first husband, she married billionaire Antonio Chi Su in 1989, and the couple opened a Chinese restaurant together. Their happiness was short-lived, however, as Chi Su passed away from prostate cancer in 2008. In a revealing interview, Lyn disclosed that she exhumed her husband’s remains and slept beside them as she grappled with her grief.
Lyn May’s life has been filled with sensational claims and controversial actions, including her assertion that she had an affair with a former Mexican president, although she never revealed who he was. She married film producer Guillermo Calderón Stell in 2008, and their relationship lasted until his death in 2018.
In 2021, Lyn once again made headlines when she announced her pregnancy with her 29-year-old fiancé, Markos D1. This news was met with skepticism, as many questioned its authenticity. It later emerged that the announcement was a publicity stunt to promote her upcoming farewell tour.
Lyn has faced significant challenges in her pursuit of beauty. Early in her career, she underwent a cosmetic procedure to enhance her facial features, but it went horribly wrong. Instead of receiving collagen injections, a fraudster injected her with cooking oil, resulting in unsightly lumps on her face. Despite numerous surgeries, the unresolved damage serves as a constant reminder of her relentless quest for perfection.
Even today, Lyn May is regarded as a captivating and resilient figure. She is not only famous and beautiful but has also navigated her unique path through life’s ups and downs.