Julia Lemigova Gives an Update on Adoption Plans Amid Martina Navratilova’s Cancer Diagnosis
The RHOM cast member also said she would “give anything” to go back and do this differently on Season 5.
After the cameras stopped rolling on The Real Housewives of Miami Season 5, Julia Lemigova learned that her wife, Martina Navratilova, had been diagnosed with Stage 1 throat cancer and early stage breast cancer.
"This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome,” Martina said about the diagnosis to ESPN. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got."
The RHOM cast member shared a message of strength after her tennis legend wife confirmed the news. "Together, we will fight this," Julia wrote on Instagram back in January, and now, she's opening up about what exactly that fight entails.
As fans will remember, Martina and Julia explored the prospect of adopting a child after the latter spouse struggled with becoming an empty nester (her daughters, Victoria and Emma, moved out of Miami for college and high school, respectively).
During Part 2 of the RHOM reunion, which dropped on Peacock on March 16, Julia revealed that the couple had decided to put their adoption plans on hold while Martina was in the throes of battling the two cancers.
"When you're adopting a child, it has to be about the child," Julia explained to the cast and to host Andy Cohen. "And, right now, it's everything about Martina, and for her [to be] getting healthy."
Because the spouses' focus has shifted, they are not ready to bring a child into the fold at the moment.
"So, we're putting it on hold," she continued. "You know, we were thinking [that at] any moment, the agency would call and give us happy news that we're going to have a baby... Instead, we are fighting two cancers. Like one was not enough."
The model then offered her fellow castmates and Andy an update on Martina's cancer battle.
"I'm just waiting for Martina to get better," she said.
Martina's recent health diagnoses have also put things into perspective for Julia. After complaining on the show about cooking dinner for two at their home in Miami, Julia is ready for a new lease on her marriage once Martina's health improves.
"Now, I would give anything to have dinner for two," Julia said through tears on the reunion. Plus, she later added, she "promise[s]" she will travel more with her wife once they are able to.
Watch The Real Housewives of Miami Thursdays on Peacock and the Bravo app.
