About
Eva Padberg is one of Germany’s most recognizable fashion faces and a multi-hyphenate talent who has balanced modeling, music, and occasional acting for more than two decades. Born on 27 January 1980 in Bad Frankenhausen, the Thuringian native first turned heads on international runways for labels like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein before expanding into brand ambassadorships for Astor cosmetics and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. Over the years she has appeared on the covers of countless magazines, been voted FHM’s “Sexiest Woman in the World” (2005), and—perhaps most memorably—lent her smoky vocals to the electronic duo Dapayk & Padberg, proving she is just as comfortable behind a microphone as she is in front of a camera. Even in 2025 she remains a regular sight at European style events, including the Radio Regenbogen Awards in April, where she was honored for her longstanding cultural influence.
Before Fame
Padberg’s path to the spotlight started in the mid-1990s, back when she was still a teenager in reunified eastern Germany. In 1995 she entered the popular Bravo “Boy & Girl” modeling contest and finished in the top ten, earning a test shoot with the Munich agency Louisa Models. She spent the next few years traveling between school and castings, polishing both her portfolio and her English before graduating with the German Abitur in 1998. By age 18 she was booking jobs in Paris, Tokyo, and New York—an early taste of the global career to come.
Trivia
- Singer-songwriter credentials: Together with her husband, producer-DJ Niklas Worgt, Padberg forms the electronic act Dapayk & Padberg. Their debut album Close Up (2005) surprised the techno scene with its mix of deep beats and her velvety voice.
- Cover girl to the core: From Vogue editorials to a celebrated German Playboy cover, she has tackled high fashion and mainstream pages with equal ease.
- Humanitarian streak: Padberg has served as a UNICEF ambassador, focusing on children’s rights and education initiatives, and often combines charity work with fashion-week appearances.
- Reality-TV moment: In early 2024 the model joined Germany’s hit dance competition Let’s Dance. Although eliminated in March, she told reporters she valued the experience—and the chance to tuck her daughter into preschool on time again.
- Sleepless honesty: A 2024 RTL interview revealed she has struggled with chronic sleep loss since becoming a parent, striking a relatable note for many fans juggling family and career.
Family Life
Away from bright lights and backstage chaos, Padberg keeps her private circle small. She began dating electronic-music producer Niklas Worgt in the mid-1990s; the pair married in July 2006 after ten years together and soon turned their creative chemistry into music as Dapayk & Padberg. Their daughter was born on 26 January 2019, and the couple now split their time between Berlin and a countryside retreat where Padberg says she can “hear birds instead of traffic.” Recent interviews highlight how hands-on she is as a mother—she often does daycare drop-offs herself—and how parenting has shifted her professional pace toward fewer but more meaningful projects.
Associated With
Throughout her career Padberg has collaborated with an eclectic roster of creatives. On screen she shared a playful cameo in Rubbeldiekatz alongside acclaimed actress Alexandra Maria Lara. On catwalks she has walked for design heavyweights ranging from Ralph Lauren to Calvin Klein, and behind the decks she produces atmospheric club tracks with her husband. In fashion activism she regularly joins forces with Mercedes-Benz designers during Berlin Fashion Week, and in 2025 she appeared at the Radio Regenbogen Awards next to chart-topping German artists such as Nico Santos—an evening that underlined her enduring cross-industry appeal.
