Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Julia Perez

G.E.P JUPE by JUPE ELITE – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Julia Perez

Yuli Rachmawati better known as Julia Perez, was an Indonesian actress, singer, model, announcer, and businesswoman. In the early 2010s, she became known for her outspoken statements against conservative Muslim clerics. 

The clerics deemed her too sexy or “pornographic” for Indonesian audiences. In 2014, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer. By 2016, the cancer had reached Stage 4 and she died in June 2017.

Here are the top 10 fascinating facts about Julia Perez

1. Julia had mixed Sunda and Betawi ancestry

Julia Perez was born Yuli Rachmawati on 15 July 1980 in Jakarta, Indonesia, as the oldest daughter to Sri Wulansih and Angkasa Djaya. Her father played football for a club in Bandar Lampung city, and her mother played women’s football for Caprina Cijantung Club in Jakarta She was of mixed Sunda and Betawi ancestry.

The Sunda or Sundanese are an indigenous ethnic group native to the western region of Java island in Indonesia. On the other hand, the Betawi people, or Betawis are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the city of Jakarta and its immediate outskirts, and such often described as the native inhabitants of Indonesia.

2. Julia moved to the Netherlands to study Dutch and work as a secretary

After leaving high school, Julia studied at InterStudi Secretarial Academy in Jakarta, at the behest of an older female friend, who also paid for her tuition and advised her to find a white foreigner boyfriend. 

She then worked for a furniture company run by a Dutchman. She began dating the owner’s son, who invited her to work in the Netherlands. She accepted the offer and spent three years in the Netherlands, studying Dutch and working as a secretary.

3.  Julia Perez was nominated as one of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World

Julia Perez nomination on Dahsyatnya Awards RCTI by Official RCTI – Wikimedia Commons

While in  Mexico, her ensuing relationship with Damien Perez opened doors for her to model for FHM and Maxim magazines in France. 

Following her layouts in FHM and Maxim, Julia was nominated as one of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World.

4. Julia’s acting career started coincidentally when she took her sister for an audition

Around 2002, she returned to Indonesia for a holiday to help her younger sister attend a casting session for a soap opera, but the director ended up recruiting Julia, who embarked upon an acting career. 

She appeared in late-night ribald comedy shows, with titles such as Komedi Nakal (Naughty Comedy). She gained further exposure and popularity by starring as a lifeguard dressed in a red swimsuit in an unofficial Indonesian version of Baywatch called Penjaga Pantai (Beach Guards).

5. Julia’s debut album Kamasutra included a free condom

Kamasutra by Skitof – Wikimedia Commons

Julia continued her acting career, she went on to appear in local soap operas, variety shows, and horror movies, and also became a popular dangdut singer. 

Her debut album Kamasutra, released in 2008, included a free condom, which upset conservative Islamic organizations and resulted in her being banned from performing in several cities. 

In 2008, she was banned from performing at a concert commemorating Indonesia’s 17 August Independence Day at a red-light area in Pekanbaru, Riau province.

6. In 2010, Julia was courted by various Indonesian political parties to run for a political position

In March 2010, Julia Perez told the press that eight political parties had asked her to run for the position of Regent of Pacitan regency in East Java province, even though she had never visited Pacitan.

She said the parties courting her for the December 2010 local election included the People’s Conscience Party, the Great Indonesia Movement Party, and the National Mandate Party. Her candidacy led to accusations that political parties were putting personalities before policies and experience, whereas her supporters countered that her inexperience in political corruption and her opposition to conservative Islam made her a worthy candidate.

In August 2010, Julia announced she had pulled out of the election, saying it was her own decision.

7. Julia founded the Champions Soccer School inspired by her love of football

Young boys playing football outside by Leehspride – Wikimedia Commons

In 2010, Julia founded the Champions Soccer School (CSS) in Jakarta, with the aim of improving the football prowess of Indonesian children by providing Latin American-style training from Argentine and Chilean coaches.

She said CSS was not intended to be a money-making operation but was inspired by her love of football. She fondly recalled playing football as a child with her parents and siblings in Cijantung, East Jakarta. 

CSS was based in Kuningan, South Jakarta, and subsequently opened coaching clinics at Bung Karno Stadium and in Simprug, South Jakarta. The school’s first batch of 14 participants received free training. 

Subsequent participants, who had an average age of 10 to 13 years, were required to pay a Rp 1 million registration fee, plus an additional Rp 1 million for a 10-week course. Former participants recall Jupe often monitoring the training, encouraging them to exercise, and sharing her passion for the game.

8. Julia Perez performed a pole dance after reaching one million Twitter followers

On 7 August 2012, Julia Perez performed a pole dance at a traffic light in Kuningan, Central Jakarta, to keep a promise after reaching one million Twitter followers. 

She was not dressed too skimpily as it was the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, although she still displayed some of her ample cleavage.

9. In 2010, the Islamic Defenders Front, demanded Julia be banned from performing in the city

In December 2010, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) threatened to report female celebrities to police over indecent online photos. Jupe said she would not make any drastic changes to her appearance as she wanted to remain sensual.

 FPI then praised Jupe for promising to improve her appearance. In December 2011, FPI members in the West Java capital of Bandung branded Julia a temptress and demanded she is banned from performing in the city.

10. Perez visited Singapore to consider having a baby via sperm donation which was prohibited in Indonesia

In early October 2014, Perez announced she had visited Singapore to consider her options for having a baby via sperm donation, a prohibited procedure in Indonesia. There was speculation at the time that she was suffering from cancer and wanted to have a baby before the cancer advanced.

 Later that same month, Perez revealed that seven months previously, she had been diagnosed with Stage 2a cervical cancer. She later clarified the cancer had been identified as Stage 1b. In Singapore, she underwent chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and ovarian removal. It was announced on 10 June 2017 that Perez had died of Stage 4 cervical cancer.