Lyn May, the Chinese-Mexican actress and showgirl famed as “The Goddess of Love,” enjoyed a prolific career spanning nearly 100 films. Her public image was tragically altered in the 1990s by a failed Botox procedure. She disclosed that she was injected with substances like water and cooking oil, which left her face disfigured with lumps.
Born Lilia Guadalupe Mendiola Mayares in 1952, she faced a difficult early life. Her first marriage to an American sailor ended after five years amid claims of abuse.
Seeking a new beginning, she relocated to Acapulco. There, she rose to fame as a dancer and became a major star in Mexican cinema’s Ficheras genre.
Her personal life was also marked by profound sorrow. Following the death of her second husband, Antonio Chi Su, from cancer in 2008, she struggled immensely with grief.
Lyn candidly admitted to exhuming his body to sleep beside it, a stark measure illustrating her deep loss.
In 2021, she generated controversy by claiming a pregnancy at age 68, which was later exposed as a publicity stunt.
Despite her hardships and the drastic change to her appearance, Lyn May endures as a resilient and glamorous icon within Mexican pop culture. Her life story underscores the complex perils of fame and the beauty industry.
