Michelle de Paula

**Michelle de Paula Firmo Reinaldo Bolsonaro** (born 22 March 1982) is a Brazilian interpreter and the current First Lady of Brazil. She is the third wife of the 38th President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro.

## Biography

### Family and education

Born and raised in Ceilândia, administrative region of the Federal District, Michelle de Paula is daughter of Maria das Graças Firmo Ferreira and Vicente de Paulo Reinaldo. Her father, born in Crateús, Ceará, is a retired bus driver, whose nickname, "Paulo Negão", became nationally known in Jair Bolsonaro speeches to defend himself from accusations of racism. She has a younger stepbrother, Diego Torres Reinaldo (b. 1988), who is a member of the Brazilian Air Force. Michelle's father and stepmother Maísa are owners of an event confection and production small business.

She has a high school diploma attained through adult education. She enrolled in university as a pharmacy student, but never took classes. She worked as a salesperson in a clothing store and as a supermarket cashier before working as parliamentary secretary.

### Chamber and relationship with Bolsonaro

Michelle de Paula worked as an employee of the Chamber of Deputies between 2006 and 2008. She started in the parliamentary office of Deputy Vanderlei Assis (PP-SP), whose term the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into the "Bloodsuckers Scandal" recommended be annulled in August 2006. Later, she became secretary to Deputy Marco Aurélio Ubiali (PSB-SP).

In June 2007, Michelle was nominated for the same position in the Progressive Party(PP) leadership, staying until September. In this period, she had the first contact with her then-future husband, then Federal Deputy from the party, and this later became a date. At the time, she was 25 and he was 52. As she recorded later: "Everything began when we first saw [each other], in Jair's room. It didn't take too long for us to be certain that we wanted to live a life together".

When Michelle met Jair Bolsonaro, he was already separated from his former spouse, Ana Cristina Valle, with whom he kept a union for 16 years. This was dissolved after a lawsuit started in 2008.

On 18 September 2007, Michelle became parliamentary secretary of Bolsonaro. Only nine days later, they signed a prenuptial agreement in the 1st Notary Public of Brasília. After around six months of relationship, they registered their civil union in November 2007, when she added the last name Bolsonaro to hers. Michelle became, officially, Bolsonaro's third wife - the first had been Rogéria Bolsonaro.

As Bolsonaro's fiancée and wife, Bolsonaro worked in his cabinet for one year and six months, a period when she was promoted and had her wage raised gradually. Before joining Bolsonaro's office, she was classified in the CNE-13 (Special Nature Post), with a salary of R$2,900. With her hiring in her then-future husband's office, she was promoted to SP26s (Parliamentary Secretary), with a salary of R$6,010. Seven months later, newly married, Michelle Bolsonaro was promoted by Jair Bolsonaro to SP28s, receiving a salary of R$8,040.

On 29 August 2008, the Supreme Federal Court prohibited the hiring of relatives as far as the third degree in public administration. This measure affected Michelle Bolsonaro's job, as the wife of a member of Parliament. Her consequent dismissal occurred on 3 November 2008, with administrative effect counted since 31 October of that year.

Questions have been raised about checks deposited into Michelle's bank account by Fabricio Queiroz who has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the government.

Bolsonaro during Independence Day parade in Brasilia on 7 September 2019

Michelle and Jair Bolsonaro at the Inauguration of Luis Lacalle Pou in Montevideo, Uruguay, March 2020

## Personal life

Michelle, who prefers to be called by her composite name, Michelle de Paula, has two daughters: Letícia Aguiar, from a previous relationship, and Laura, from her marriage with Jair Bolsonaro.

In 2010, Michelle gave birth to the couple's daughter, Laura. Her wedding with Bolsonaro, which happened on November 28, 2007, occurred in a party house in Alto da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro. At the request of the bride herself, the 150 guest-ceremony was conducted by pastor Silas Malafaia, one of the leaders of the Assembly of God Victory in Christ (Advec), which Bolsonaro was an active member and attendant of until 2016.

The Bolsonaro family lives in a gated community house in Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro. In this neighborhood, Bolsonaro has been attending and helping Attitude Baptist Church since she left Advec in 2016, after a temporary misunderstanding between Malafaia and Jair Bolsonaro in the electoral campaign. Despite being a Catholic, Bolsonaro attended the same church with his wife.

On 30 July 2020, Michelle Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19, days after her husband said he had recovered from the disease.

## Bolsonaro's presidential campaign

During most part of the Bolsonaro's electoral campaign, Bolsonaro didn't get involved herself actively in rallies supporting her husband candidacy, keeping herself discreet and reserved to the media coverage, but following her husband's path in the backstage.

Her first public appearance in an electoral ad happened on 25 October 2018, three days before the second round of the 2018 election between Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad. In the ad, she praised her husband as a "wonderful human being" and "playful". After the attack against Bolsonaro in Juiz de Fora, on 6 September 2018, Bolsonaro followed her husband during his surgical recovery in Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital, in São Paulo.

## Actions as First Lady

After the disclosure of the results of the second round of the presidential election, on the night of 28 October 2018, Jair Bolsonaro finished his victory speech by thanking Michelle Bolsonaro for her support, for having provided "peace, security and strength" for him to reach his objective, pointing out that he couldn't have made it without her. He also offered her a minute to speak, but she refused.

The same night of 28 October, the first interview of Michelle Bolsonaro for RecordTV was broadcast, made exclusively by journalist Eduardo Ribeiro, In it, the new First Lady affirmed she wanted to "make a difference" in favour of the country, that she "will keep doing her job helping disabled people" and demonstrated her will to "do missions in the Northeast sertão".

Bolsonaro has highlighted social causes related to people with disabilities, with visibility for rare diseases, digital inclusion, awareness of autism, inclusion of sign language in schools and other social projects.

Michelle became the first Brazilian first lady to speak at the Palácio do Planalto parliamentary office during a presidential inauguration which she did in sign language. She is a member of the Ministry of the Deaf of the Baptist Church, where she acted as an interpreter of Brazilian Sign Language in services.

In the traditional statement by the President of the Republic on Christmas Eve, on the night of 24 December 2019, for the first time, a First Lady spoke alongside the President on national radio and television broadcast. Michelle, who wore a red shirt with the name "Jesus", wished a blessed Christmas to all Brazilians and highlighted that "together, with love and dedication, we can build a more just, more inclusive and more supportive Brazil for all".