'RHOM's' Julia Lemigova’s Wife Martina Navratilova Says Their Adoption Is “Not Legal Yet”

Model and The Real Housewives of Miami star Julia Lemigova and her wife Martina Navratilova recently admitted there’s still more work to be done regarding their adoption.

Bravo’s first openly lesbian couple have been married since 2014 and, a decade later, confirmed to The Daily Dish in August 2024 that they adopted two boys. However, Julia and Martina’s role as new parents isn’t official just yet.

On Monday, June 23, Martina appeared on BBC World Service’s podcast, The Interview. While speaking with host Amol Rajan, he asked her about the adoption and how she was settling into being a mom to her boys. She shared that she and Julia are still waiting for the adoption to be legalized.

“It’s not legal yet,” Martina said, adding that the adoption process has “been a challenge, but it’s been amazing.”

The tennis champion further explained the adoption is “just a matter of paperwork.” She also admitted that raising younger kids takes “a lot of responsibility,” which she’s excited to embark on at age 68.

“I’ve never done anything by the book, so why start now?” Martina joked. “I know I’m too old for this. I should be a grandparent, but that’s how it worked out. We’re lucky for it. They’re lucky, but they don’t know it yet. It’s gonna be fun.”

Martina’s interview came weeks after Julia also updated fans about their adoption on her Instagram Stories. In several text posts, she confirmed that while fans saw her sharing the news of her adoption with her co-stars via Zoom, the boys’ adoption was still in limbo.

“This season, you’ve seen a different side of me, one even I’ve struggled to fully explain,” Julia wrote. “The truth is, just before we began filming, something life-changing happened. I was given the chance to welcome two incredible boys into my life. It was sudden, emotional, and felt deeply destined. But here’s the part no one saw: the adoptions weren’t finalized. Not yet. I was living in an emotional in-between, loving these boys fiercely while navigating legal uncertainty and keeping so much of it quiet.”

Julia further discussed how the “uncertainty” of the adoption affected her relationships on the show. During the Zoom call, her friend, Guerdy Abraira, was disconnected from the call. When she realized she couldn’t get back on, she sent Julia a text saying, “Congrats,” and fans thought Julia gave her the cold shoulder. The model explained her reaction had less to do with Guerdy and more to do with the “overwhelming” feelings she was experiencing during filming.

“And when it came to Guerdy, the truth is, at the time, we weren’t in the close, heart-connected place we had once been,” Julia said. “Our friendship had shifted a bit. Not in anger, not in conflict, just life pulling us in different directions. So when she reached out, I was so wrapped in protecting my emotional chaos, I fumbled.”

“I never meant to come off as cold or bizarre,” she added. “I was simply in a storm of my own.”

Julia and Martina started dating in 2000. In addition to their soon-to-be adopted sons, Julia has two daughters, Victoria and Emma, from previous relationships. Her late son, Maximilian, died from shaken baby syndrome at 5 months old while in the care of a nanny.