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Judith Heard blends beauty and charity

Friday August 03 2012

She is portrayed by the media as Kampala’s top socialite, party animal, a spendthrift and show-off who splashes thousands of dollars on posh cars and parties.

IN SUMMARY

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She is portrayed by the media as Kampala’s top socialite, party animal, a spendthrift and show-off who splashes thousands of dollars on posh cars and parties.

The model is married to American Richard Alex Heard. She has had her fair share of appearances in Uganda’s tabloid gossip sections.

On a recent visit to Rwanda, one of her frequent visits to the country she calls home, the 26-year-old model-cum-businesswoman visited Rwanda Today and its sister radio 98.7KFM and spoke about her career, charity work and most of all her social life and the gossip.

The lanky model walked into the Nation Holdings Rwanda offices, with only her manager Jackie and a male relative.

Judith Heard is a very down-to-earth person. She greets and talks to whomever she comes across with a big, sincere smile, if not a hug.

When we sat down for the interview, she told her story in a simple yet expressive way, without dressing up to suit her social status. She answered every question with ease and without flinching.

Born to a Rwandan father, the late John Musana, and a Ugandan mother, Olive Bitature, 26 years ago, Judith Heard refers to herself as a “charitable person, an astute businesswoman and a proud mother of three adorable children,” twins and a six-year old-adopted son.

Judith Heard started modelling at the tender age of 16 in Kigali and she is quick to point out that many people still think she became famous when she moved to Kampala.

“I was already famous before I left Rwanda. I was on billboards of Amstel beer in 2001 before I moved to Kampala in 2002 to work for Sylvie Owori’s Ziper Models, that’s when most people got to know me, but I had made a name already,” she says.

The model went on to become the face of Sylvie Owori’s fashion label and as well as the face of her magazine African Woman before she met Mr Heard, an American surgeon, who took her off the catwalk.

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“As my career in modelling thrived, along came Mr Heard, who took me off the catwalk and decided to make me his wife and my modelling career slowed down a bit,” she says with a chuckle.

Mrs Heard is reluctant to talk about her charity work and love for children but the model reveals that her charity cause, especially caring for orphaned children, was inspired by her earlier failure to bear children.

“When I got married, I had several miscarriages. We had always wanted to have children and then at my last miscarriage, I suggested to my mum and cousin who were attending to me in hospital that if that is God’s way, then I should just adopt children and forget about having my own.

“My mum was very supportive. A few days after I left the hospital, I visited Sanyu Babies Home in Uganda and for several days attended to the children. I then suggested to my husband that we should adopt one of the babies and he said it was ok,” Mrs Heard adds.

After a rigorous process of background checks and scrutiny, the couple were given Brandon Richard Heard, now 6.

“Adopting a child is not like going to a supermarket, pick something, pay for it and then go. Checks are conducted to ensure that a child is handed over to the right people.”

Along the way, the couple were blessed with a pair of adorable twins who turned three this May.

From then on, Judith Heard developed a heart for the needy, scrolling through newspapers and watching society stories on TV to see where she could help, whether by paying school fees for a needy yet bright child or supporting them with basic needs.

“I pay school fees for about five kids at any one time and I also still support Sanyu Babies Home. Every time they need something, I deliver,” she says.

The model has launched a fancy boutique in Kampala, known as JH Front Your Style. “I love fashion, I love looking good and my shop focuses on dressing East African women. I have an eye for fashion and I know what it takes for EAC women to look good.”

The top model has led a controversial life, attracting lots of media attention, thanks to her lifestyle and flamboyancy, luxurious vehicles, which sometimes puts her charity credentials in doubt.

“I am a down-to-earth-woman, I love people, I love having fun and I work hard. When you work hard, you also party hard,” she says, adding that the media follows her wherever she goes and accuses her of splashing her husband’s money, but the ‘real Judith Heard’ works for her money.

Of course, she gets bothered by the stories and she admits that before, she used to get into fights with her husband and her family was equally disturbed by the negative stories of her splashing out lots of money in bars.

“I don’t spend that much in bars, the most I have spent I guess is around Ush300,000 (about $130), unless it is a party I organised; but the media will always portray me as a huge spender,” she asserts.

On several occasions there have been rumours about her marriage breaking up due to her social ways, where she has been linked to several men when her husband is away, but she denies all that, stating that she is, “Happily married. People will always talk, you can’t stop them.”

“People said that I have divorced, but my husband and I have never had such an idea. Unless you live inside my bedroom, you are not allowed to speculate on my bedroom matters,” she said.

Mrs Heard said that sometimes tabloids go as far as putting pictures on Facebook to link her to young men, which she says is a “shameful act.” “I am the beautiful woman who everyone wants to take a picture with, so it really means nothing.” she pointed out.

“I am a Rwandan woman. My mother was a Mutooro, which makes me someone of a strong, hybrid. My father was a strong man who fought for Rwanda’s liberation struggle.”

“My mother is equally of a strong nature, so the character of both is in me. I am not easily brought down,” she says.

Judith Heard also brushed aside the alleged “beef” between her, Zari Hussein, another Ugandan socialite with a penchant for spending, as well as Sylvie Owori, her mentor, over who is richer, saying it was a story made up by the media.

“I am only 26 and I haven’t made that much money, save for my husband’s. There is surely no beef, even a few incidents that happened in public were generated by the media but I have no beef with anyone,” she concludes.

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