Lady Tabares

Some Lesser Known Facts About Lady Tabares

• Lady Tabares was born in Medellín, Colombia, into a large family of ten siblings, most of whom had different fathers.

• She was three and a half years old when she went out with a friend and got lost on the streets in Medellín.

• Tabares grew up in a troubled environment in Medellín, where drug problems were common.

• At ten, Tabares begged for money on Medellín’s streets outside movie theatres. She was taken to an orphanage after being found abandoned by some nuns. Three years later, her family visited, but they left her there as they could not afford to care for her.

  

• By the age of 13, Tabares was selling roses on the streets to survive. She once caught the attention of filmmaker Víctor Gaviria, who cast her as a lead in his film ‘La vendedora de rosas’ (trans. The Rose Seller).

  

• The film ‘La vendedora de rosas’ highlighted the struggles of street teens in 1990s Medellín and was inspired by the real-life story of Tabares, who lived on the streets. To make it realistic, Gaviria cast non-professional actors.

• ‘La vendedora de rosas’ became a huge success in Columbia after its release in 1998. Tabares’ performance in the film was highly appreciated by the viewers and critics.

• On 13 May 1998, ‘La vendedora de rosas’ was premiered at Cannes, where it received a standing ovation.

  

• During the team’s stay at a mansion for Cannes, jewellery belonging to the press chief’s assistant’s grandmother went missing. Both Lady and Quiroz were suspected but later denied involvement. The Jewellery was eventually recovered, though the mystery of the culprit remained unsolved.

• Later, Colombian journalist Yamid Amat started a campaign to help Tabares get a home in Medellín. She chose a second-floor house with a terrace in the Puerto Bello neighbourhood of north Medellín; she lived in that house for five years.

• Tabares’ fame from ‘La vendedora de rosas’ was short-lived as she returned to selling roses on streets later.

• In 1999, she played the role of ‘Lady Rojas’ in the television series ‘La Guerra de las Rosas,’ which aired on Caracol Channel. The series was based on Tabares’ life journey.

  

• In 2000, Lady met Ferney Mauricio Ortega, a street vendor who sold pens and was well-known in the neighbourhood for his intimidating reputation. He had a criminal history and had been to prison multiple times for theft, murder, and drug-related offences.

• Lady and Ferney later began dating and had a son together. They lived in her small room on a terrace. Ferney was a jealous man who often abused Lady and sometimes became violent.

  

• In October 2001, Ferney was murdered at Lady’s home by armed men. He was shot multiple times in front of her and their son.

• In August 2002, Lady and her then-boyfriend Edison Castañeda were convicted in a murder case of a taxi driver.

• In 2003, writer Edgar Domínguez Cataño published the book ‘Leidy Tabares, La Niña Que Vendía Rosas’ based on Tabares’ life.

  

• Tabares met Elisa Roldán in 2005 while both were in El Buen Pastor prison in Medellín. After years of no contact, Elisa reconnected with Tabares in 2015 after learning she had been granted house arrest.

  

• During her time in prison in 2009, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

• Tabares and Elisa fell in love with each other over time, and on Tabares’ birthday on 31 May 2015, they made their relationship official.

• During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lady and her family faced tough times, struggling to afford food and pay bills despite receiving help from director Víctor Gaviria.

• In 2022, Lady played the role of ‘Mrs. Rivera’ in a short film titled ‘La Balada de las Crayolas.’

  

• In 2025, she appeared as a contestant on the reality show ‘La Casa de los Famosos Colombia (LCFC) 2,’ which aired on Canal RCN.

  

• Tabares believes in contributing to society and runs ‘Papá Giovanny-Vendedora de Rosas Foundation,’ which supports the homeless in Barrio Triste, Medellín.

• She owns a clothing brand called ‘Lady Rouse.’

  

• Tabares is an avid animal lover and has a pet cat.

  

• She loves travelling and often shares her travel experiences on social media.

  

• Lady enjoys reading and has a good collection of novels. On social media, she frequently posts reviews of the novels she reads.

  

• She consumes alcohol occasionally.