Shine, glamor and pure joy of life: That’s how we know Let’s Dance icon Jorge González. The man known on TV for his extravagant outfits and distinctive accent (“Hola Chicas!”), is an absolute cult. But behind the sparkling facade lies a story full of hardship, courage and an impressive desire for freedom.
He became famous on GNTM: This is how Jorge González stole his way into our hearts
Jorge González is iconic. He has been a member of the Let’s Dance jury since 2013, enchanting audiences with his unmistakable mix of fire, charisma and a huge dose of extravagance. The TV star loves to shine with unusual outfits and just happened to become one dazzling icon of the LGBTQIA+ community. Jorge breaks gender barriers and reinvents itself every day:
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Jorge celebrated his big one Breakthrough in 2009 at Germany’s Next Top Model. He succeeded Bruce Darnell and drove his “Chicas” to peak performance using sometimes hair-raising means. The audience loved the lively bird of paradise, no wonder he became a fixture on German TV.
Incredible willpower: Jorge González fought his way to freedom
The 57-year-old grew up in socialist-run Cuba suffered extremely from the homophobic atmosphere in the country during his childhood. Jorge revealed to Bild how little he was allowed to develop: “On the other hand, I could I wasn’t really free inside because I recognized my homosexuality very early on – and this was very discriminated against by the Cuban system at the time.”
Jorge González knew early on that he wanted to leave; so he made a plan. The TV star revealed in the taz interview, that he fought obsessively for his ticket to freedom:
Many who wanted to get out of Cuba fled across the sea to Miami and died in the process, I didn’t want that. Another option was to go to the socialist countries of Europe as a student. But to be able to do that, you had to be one of the best at school.
González earned top grades and received a scholarship to Czechoslovakia to study nuclear ecology. Gonzalez confessed to taz how liberated he suddenly felt there: “I could be who I am. There were discos for homosexuals, a small scene.”
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“My parents didn’t know if I was still alive”: Jorge González escaped from prison
González learned about cultural freedom and eventually started working as a model. With this lifestyle, González jeopardized his residence permit, because the socialist government of Cuba expected students abroad to behave according to the rules. When Jorge also shot a commercial for the Western company Coca-Cola, he found himself in serious danger: González was supposed to return to Cuba; He even faced a prison sentence there! Then the Iron Curtain fell and Jorge’s new home was also considered an enemy of Cuba. He wanted everything but back.
In Manager Magazin, González revealed that he was only able to escape political persecution with the help of friends. He was allowed to go into hiding with a friend who took on a kind of motherly role during this time: “That was one of the most emotional moments of my life. […] Totally broken inside, but proud on the outside.” The entertainer confessed to RND that he was not allowed to have any contact with the family during this time: “My parents and I didn’t know if we were still alive.”
Luckily, his best friend was able to save him from traveling back to Cuba: “But she and her husband managed to that I get political asylum.” Gonzalez was allowed to finish his studies and started as a model; As we all know, the rest is history.
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Let’s Dance 2025: Then it starts
The 18th season of Let’s Dance starts on Friday, February 21st at 8:15 p.m. on RTL. At the same time, the show can be streamed on RTL+.