About
Born Natacha Peyre Requena on March 26, 1985, in the sun-washed Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Elena Belle grew up balancing two cultures: the laid-back rhythm of Spain and the clean Scandinavian minimalism of Sweden. Fluent in Spanish, Swedish, and English, she first stepped into the public eye under her birth name, but re-branded herself as Elena Belle when she set her sights on an international career. Today she is best known as a model, entrepreneur, and reality-TV personality whose résumé stretches from magazine covers and runway shows to prime-time television.
After an early flirtation with music—she released a playful pop single titled “TNT” in 2006—Belle gained widespread attention through reality TV. She competed on Sweden’s Paradise Hotel (2005) and later joined Svenska Hollywoodfruar, the hit series chronicling the glamorous lives of Swedish women in Los Angeles. Her natural camera presence and sharp fashion sense quickly made her a breakout star, and the show’s success opened doors to brand partnerships across the lifestyle, beauty, and travel worlds.
Belle’s modeling portfolio is equally varied. In 2016 she shared the screen with Emily Sears and Genevieve Morton in Carl’s Jr.’s cheeky “Three-Way Burger” campaign, introduced Panos Emporio’s spring/summer 2020 swim line, and appeared on the January 2022 cover of Maxim New Zealand. Off-camera, she channels her love for beach culture into Salty Hair, a swim- and surf-wear label that she founded and still steers from concept sketches to launch parties. Her business, social-media presence, and television work combine into a personal brand built around wellness, confidence, and sun-drenched aesthetics.
Before Fame
Elena spent her earliest years in Ibiza, a setting that influenced her later love for sea-life imagery and bright, Mediterranean palettes. When her family relocated to Sweden, she navigated a different climate and language yet kept her Spanish roots alive at home. By her teens she was modeling on the side, splitting weekends between school assignments and photo shoots in Stockholm. The dual upbringing helped her cultivate a versatile style—fiery and bold in front of the lens, calm and methodical behind the scenes—which eventually convinced her to chase a full-time creative career.
Anticipating the importance of visibility, Belle built an early blog that mixed fashion diaries with personal reflections. The project attracted enough traffic to catch casting directors’ eyes and earned her a spot on Paradise Hotel before she turned twenty-one. While the show was heavy on drama, Belle treated the experience like an accelerated course in branding: she studied lighting, asked producers questions, and learned the value of telling a clear story—skills that later proved invaluable when she pivoted to entrepreneurship.
Trivia
- Multilingual Muse: Belle moves easily between Spanish, Swedish, and English, occasionally sprinkling a bit of French into interviews.
- Commercial Splash: The sizzling Carl’s Jr. spot secured more than 12 million online views within its first month, vaulting her Instagram following past the half-million mark.
- Fitness Focus: She shares plant-forward recipes, Pilates routines, and “30-minute beach burn” workouts with her audience, positioning health as the ultimate accessory.
- Book Debut: A Swedish-language memoir released in 2022 weaves childhood snapshots with candid notes on grief, ambition, and the realities of influencer life.
- Island Heart: Despite living in Los Angeles, she celebrates her Ibiza birthday every year with a sunrise dip—often documented for her followers.
Family Life
In 2016 Elena married British music executive Michael Theanne, longtime manager to DJ Steve Aoki and other EDM heavyweights. The pair welcomed daughter Luna Belle that same year; Luna’s surprise cameo on her mother’s Instagram—tiny toes peeking out from a hospital blanket—marked one of Belle’s most-liked posts to date.
Tragedy struck in February 2020 when Theanne collapsed during a run near their Hollywood Hills home and passed away at age 45. Belle spoke openly about coping with sudden loss, sharing that toddler Luna regularly asked when her father would return. Fans rallied in support, and Belle poured her energy into parenting, charity 5Ks for heart-health awareness, and expanding Salty Hair.
By 2023 she cautiously returned to dating; her most public romance was with Dancing with the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko. While the pair eventually separated, Belle’s willingness to discuss the highs and lows of modern relationships resonated with audiences following her for both fashion and real-life relatability.
Associated With
- Emily Sears & Genevieve Morton: The trio’s Carl’s Jr. collaboration remains a fan-favorite among fast-food commercials, celebrated for tongue-in-cheek humor and splashy visuals.
- Maria Montazami & Gunilla Persson: Fellow cast members on Svenska Hollywoodfruar, they shared dinner parties, charity galas, and the occasional on-screen disagreement that fueled Swedish tabloid headlines.
- Steve Aoki: Through Michael Theanne’s management role, Belle sometimes offered behind-the-scenes glimpses of the DJ’s tour life, further blending fashion and music audiences.
- Panos Emporio: Swedish swimwear house that tapped Belle as the face of its Spring/Summer 2020 line, a partnership aligning perfectly with her own Salty Hair brand.
- Gleb Savchenko: The Russian-American dancer’s red-carpet appearances with Belle sparked Hollywood gossip pages and briefly aligned her follower base with DWTS devotees.
