The family secret revealed: The real name of Yael Shelbia

Yael Shelbia celebrates her 25th birthday today, Monday, and continues to prove that she is not just another fleeting model, but an international empire on the rise. From her childhood in Nahariya to the Formula 1 tracks, here are the five most interesting and surprising things you must know about the star.

1. Global status: Relationships and 25th birthday celebrations in Mykonos

After high-profile relationships in the past (including with billionaire Brandon Korff and singer Omer Adam), Yael is currently in a stable and highly publicized relationship with Canadian Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll (son of billionaire Lawrence Stroll, one of the owners of the Aston Martin team). The combination of her fashion world with the prestigious racing world has made her one of the most intriguing figures at F1 events around the world. In honor of her 25th birthday, Stroll produced an especially sparkling celebration for her that began with a party on his private jet and continued at a luxury villa in Mykonos alongside her close friends.

1. The secret stage name and foreign roots

Although everyone knows her by the name Yael Shelbia, her full name at birth is Yael Shelbia Cohen. The name "Shelbia" was adopted as her stage name on the recommendation of her personal agent at the beginning of her journey to create differentiation from the common name "Cohen" and to add a unique and mysterious look. The name itself carries an exciting family heritage; it is the name of her grandmother who originated from the island of Djerba in Tunisia, and in Tunisian-Arabic it means "beautiful" or "good girl".

1. From the Ulpana in Nahariya to the IDF

Yael's path to the top was not smooth. She grew up in a religious-nationalist home in Nahariya and studied at an Ulpana. At the beginning of her career, the combination of the modeling world and a religious lifestyle aroused fierce opposition from educational institutions, and she even had to change schools to continue fulfilling her dream. Furthermore, unlike many in the sector who choose national service, Yael insisted on enlisting in the IDF and served in the Air Force with the status of an "outstanding model", which allowed her to combine military service with an international career.

1. Instagram meteor: From a "selfie" to first place in the world

The story of Yael's discovery seems taken from a movie; she never registered for beauty pageants and never went to auditions. The ITM modeling agency discovered her when she was only 15 years old, following simple selfies she uploaded to her private Instagram account. Since then, a meteoric breakthrough has been recorded; in 2020, she captured first place on the list of "The 100 Most Beautiful Faces in the World" by TC Candler magazine (surpassing stars like Gal Gadot and Scarlett Johansson), led the campaign for Kylie Jenner's skincare brand (Kylie Skin), and starred on huge billboards in Times Square.

1. Professional changes on the way to the global top (and acting!)

Alongside her modeling career, Yael proved a prominent acting talent when she played a main and central role (as the character of Ruchala) in the successful youth series "Palmach". As part of the expansion of her international activity and the transition to a wardrobe adapted to the new lifestyle alongside Stroll and global events, it was recently reported that her professional collaboration with stylist Daniela Kapluto, who accompanied her for the last five years, has ended — a step that marks the opening of a new and even more prestigious chapter in her international career.