Valeria Lukyanova and Justin Jedlica have spent untold dollars to look like real-life Ken and Barbie dolls — and they've caused plenty of controversy along the way.
Like it or not, Barbie and Ken’s exaggerated proportions have shaped popular conceptions of physical beauty for decades. This has led some to go to extreme lengths to turn themselves into human dolls — or even the real-life Barbie and Ken. Two such people are Valeria Lukyanova and Justin Jedlica.
The 5'7" model Valeria Lukyanova weighs 93 pounds, according to the French magazine L'Express. Her proportions — 34-18-34 — are quite close to what an actual Barbie's would be: 39-18-33. Her ultra-trim figure doesn't look too healthy, but it certainly resembles Barbie. Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Critics have suggested that in order to achieve her 18-inch waist, Lukyanova must have had some ribs removed. Lukyanova has denied this rumor: "Don't believe any stories about me having rib removing surgeries," she said. "They aren't true. The only surgery I had was breast surgery. My mother's waist is as narrow as mine — I inherited that from her."Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria often uses blue contacts over her natural green eyes.Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Beach-bound Barbie. Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook She can look completely different day-to-day depending on her makeup techniques. Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Behind the beauty regimen and obsessive manicuring is a desire to appear feminine. Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook The "Human Barbie" spent untold dollars to achieve her other-worldly appearance.Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Some have said that Lukyanova's figure is more the magic of Photoshop than it is surgery alone. In May 2015, Lukyanova gave credence to such a claim. The Ukrainian model admitted that she 'shopped images of herself in jean shorts to "smooth" the overall photo.Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook In the past, Lukyanova has told papers that in order to stay trim, she hopes to live on "air and light alone," in what is known as the extreme "Breatharian" diet.Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook As for exercise, she told Cosmo that she works out for five to six hours a day to maintain her figure.Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Instead of the "Human Barbie," Lukyanova has said she'd rather be known as a spiritual leader called Amatue. She said, "Valeria is my earthly name and more for people who don't really know me or aren't absorbed with esoterics; they don't understand this. But all the people who are close to me, they call me Amatue."Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Lukyanova believes she can communicate with aliens and travel to other planets. "My communication with aliens is not verbal," she said. "We speak the language of light. I have learned a lot from them... and also that humans are the least sophisticated civilization."Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Today, however, Lukyanova takes umbrage with her nickname as "Human Barbie." As she told Cosmopolitan during an interview, "It's a little degrading and insulting, but I'm used to it now... it's the image most fans request, so I have to comply with it because it's become part of my aesthetic image, but I don't like it. I don't like it when people think I am imitating a doll."Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook A before-and-after photo of Lukyanova. While Lukyanova is married, she has said she doesn't want children: "I am never going to have my own children. Once when I traveled outside my body, I remembered that I was not a human and my spirit is not a human spirit — I should not have children in this world."Valeria Lukyanova/Facebook Justin Jedlica has become known as the human Ken doll, having spent close to $800,000 on cosmetic procedures.Justin Jedlica/Facebook On his site, Jedlica explains that his childhood shaped his decision to become a human Ken. "I was anything but what [my father] had expected. Instead of sports and cars, I was drawn to the arts and had an affinity for the 'finer things in life.' My community, my family, and my friends didn't seem to understand me or my interests."Justin Jedlica/Facebook His motivation also stemmed from popular culture. Says Jedlica on his site, "The lives of famous figures... fascinated me. These interests were instrumental to the formation of my personal view of beauty, the lifestyle I wanted and the notoriety I sought. Thus, the Justin Jedlica rendition of the 'Ken Doll' was born."Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Jedlica describes his modification and its constitutive procedures as "cathartic," and says that the "restructuring of the contours of my face and body in an effort to customize myself perseveres as I grow as an individual."Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Jedlica's trasnformation began at age 18, when he received his first nose job. Justin Jedlica/Facebook It apparently helps that Jedlica always sees ways that he can improve his body. "As a very detail-oriented person, I always find something new to critique and fix," Jedlica told the Daily Mail. "Most recently I had three veins in my forehead stripped and ablated as every time I would smile or laugh they would pop out... I called them my 'Julia Roberts' veins."Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin and his mom at the beach. Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook Justin Jedlica/Facebook A before-and-after shot of Jedlica.YouTube
The Bizarre Story Behind The Real-Life Barbie And Ken — And Why They Became Dolls View GalleryThough they're famous for looking like the doll couple, they're far from the picture-perfect pair In fact, with their opposing personalities, the real-life Ken and Barbie actually have an ongoing feud.
The Human Barbie: Valeria Lukyanova
The woman who the press has dubbed the "human Barbie" was born on August 23, 1985, in Tiraspol, Moldova — a mostly forgotten remnant of the Soviet Union. Valeria Lukyanova is currently a Ukrainian model and uses her appearance to promote her ideas about spirituality and mysticism.
Valeria may resemble a doll more than an actual human, but she claims she never set out to look like the iconic blonde Barbie. Instead, she simply wants to look beautiful, feminine, and refined. It just so happens that's the image that dolls are made in, too. However, she admits to loving Barbie as a child.
You may think that plastic surgery and cosmetic enhancement are a large part of Valeria's signature look, but she claims to have only had breast augmentation. She rails against people who spread rumors that she's had her ribs removed in order to achieve her impossibly tiny waistline.
Valeria Lukyanova/FacebookValeria Lukyanova, the human Barbie.
She once said her goal was to become a breatharian and exist on air and sunlight alone. (It must be said here that no one should actually attempt this. You'll die.)
Valeria also believes in astral projection and claims she is actually an alien being herself. Once, she said in a VICE documentary that she was a famous king and a spiritual teacher in a past life.
Valeria Lukyanova is definitely a polarizing character. She also came under fire recently for some comments she made regarding people who are mixed race.
In a GQ interview, Valeria commented on changing beauty standards. "For example, a Russian marries an Armenian," she says. "They have a kid, a cute girl, but she has her dad's nose. She goes and files it down a little, and it's all good. Ethnicities are mixing now, so there's degeneration, and it didn't used to be like that. Remember how many beautiful women there were in the 1950s and 1960s, without any surgery? And now, thanks to degeneration, we have this."
She also says that she is against feminism and does not want children. "Most people have children to fulfill their own ambitions, not to give anything," she said. "They don't think about what they can give this child, what they can teach her. They just try to shape her according to some weird script — whatever they couldn't do in life."
The Human Ken Doll: Justin Jedlica
Justin Jedlica is from Poughkeepsie, New York, and was born on August 11, 1980. He has been dubbed the "human Ken doll," and he says that it's a flattering title, though being Ken was not his intent.
Justin is what some call a "plastic-surgery enthusiast." He has had rhinoplasty, chest, bicep, tricep and shoulder implants, brow lifts, cheek augmentations, subpectoral implants, gluteoplasty, and lip augmentations.
Justin Jedlica/FacebookJustin Jedlica, aka the human Ken doll.
So far, the real-life Ken doll estimates having 780 cosmetic procedures, spending over $800,000. And it doesn't sound like he's stopping anytime soon.
Becoming what he sees as the best version of himself happens to be the trim chiseled look that is the hallmark of the Ken doll. But Justin considers his quest an art form and insists that there's something deeper to his transformation than people believe.
He said, "In some respects, people assume that this is like the pursuit of perfection... that Ken is the optimal form of how a male should look, right? And it all sort of revolves around looks and superficiality. I think that title, is typically what people take away from it. But, I wouldn't say that is something I strived for in my life."
Needless to say, there will always be trolls, like people who ask if he is an anatomical match with Ken in terms of his famously non-existent genitals. In response, Justin says, "Actually, I wish it was dragging on the ground like anime."
"I don't have a problem using myself as the guinea pig," he said. "When I go into doctors, I don't say I go in for consultations anymore, because really I go in to pitch."
Sadly, tragedy befell Justin's family in 2019 when his brother, Jordan Jedlica, 32, died in prison. He was serving a 19-month sentence for breaking and entering. Authorities found him unresponsive in his cell and he later died. The family thinks foul play is involved.
Justin Jedlica is using his national profile to attract attention to his brother's case. "This is my baby brother," he said. "I'm the oldest of all of our siblings. I feel like this was my kid."
The Real-Life Barbie And Ken Feud
Valeria Lukyanova and Justin Jedlica met in February 2013 for a TV appearance and sparks flew — enough to start a fiery feud, that is.
The human Ken doll blasted Valeria, saying that she "presents herself as a real-life Barbie doll, but she is nothing more than an illusion who dresses like a drag queen."
Prior to meeting her, Justin Jedlica said that he appreciated that Valeria was beautiful, but added, "It appears to me that much of her look is added makeup, fake hair, and "slimming" corsets... as soon as you wipe away all that makeup she's just a plain Jane."
For her part, Valeria Lukyanova says, "He would do better not to comment on who is plastic and who is not. I think he is a handsome man — but he overdid his lips."
The competition runs hot in the doll world, so all involved must be careful not to get burned — so they don't melt away.
Fascinated by these real-life Barbie and Ken dolls? Then check out our other posts on extreme female body modification and the most beautiful works of body art.
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