Trudie Styler
Great Britain- Early Life and Education
- Acting Career
- Family and Personal Life
- Producing and Directing
- Environmental Activism
- Legal Controversy
Early Life and Education
Trudie Styler was born on January 6, 1954, in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England. She studied at North Bromsgrove High School, where her music teacher was Cliff Richard. Styler then continued her education at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Acting Career
Styler's acting career began with roles in BBC productions, including Emma Tregirls in the 1975 series "Poldark." She went on to star in films such as "Miss Marple: The Body in the Library," "La Sposa americana," "Straight to Hell," and "Modi." She also appeared in the TV series "Love Soup," "Empire," and "Midsomer Murders."
Family and Personal Life
Styler has been in a relationship with celebrated singer and bassist Sting since 1980. They married on August 20, 1992, and have four children: Bridget Michael (born 1984), Jake (born 1985), Eliot Paulina (known as Coco; born 1990), and Giacomo Luke (born 1995).
The couple owns several homes worldwide, including Lake House in Wiltshire, England, a 60-acre estate, a cottage in the Lake District, an apartment in New York City, a beach house in Malibu, California, and a 900-acre estate in Tuscany, Italy, where they produce organic honey and olive oil.
Producing and Directing
In 1995, Styler became an executive producer on Guy Ritchie's black comedy "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and the 2000 crime caper "Snatch." She introduced Madonna to Ritchie, who became her second husband. Styler is also the godmother of their son, Rocco.
In 2002, Styler made her directorial debut with the documentary "The Sweatbox." She independently directed the short film "Wait" in 2005.
Environmental Activism
Styler is a supporter of UNICEF, the United Nations' international children's emergency fund. She served as an ambassador for their "End Child Labor" program in July 2004, highlighting issues of child labor, trafficking, and sexual exploitation. In early 2004, Styler visited Ecuador to witness the effects of their campaign and traveled to tsunami-affected areas in Sri Lanka in 2005.
Legal Controversy
In May 2007, a court found Styler and Sting's estate management company guilty of unlawfully dismissing a 41-year-old chef from their Lake Estate property. Jane Martin, who had worked as a chef for eight years, was dismissed by her employers after becoming pregnant, which the court found was clear discrimination on the grounds of sex. The plaintiff added further allegations against Styler, including working excessive hours and unfairly criticizing staff when on sick leave. The court was particularly critical of Styler, describing her as "petulant" and "leading the house on a frolic of her own," with "all the trappings of the classic 'grande dame' seeking to escape responsibility for her part in the wrongdoing."
Styler and Sting denied the allegations. They settled with Martin for £24,944 and later succeeded in appealing the court's ruling.
