CELEBRITIES

Christina Aguilera

Credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

BIO

Born in Staten Island in 1980, Christina Aguilera is one of today’s pre-eminent divas. After competing on Star Search at the age of 10, Aguilera became a regular on the Mickey Mouse Club alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

In 1999, her self-titled debut sold eight million copies in the U.S., leading to a "Best New Artist" Grammy in 2000. With her second effort, Stripped, Aguilera began to cast herself as the “dirty girl” response to Spears. In 2004, the singer dropped the Dirrty persona and adopted her now-signature Marilyn Monroe look. Her third album, a double-disc set titled Back to Basics has a much more mature sound—and has done much better with critics.

Aguilera married record exec Jordan Bratman in 2005. The couple welcomed their first child, Max, in January 2008. In October 2010, Aguilera filed for divorce from Bratman; she requested joint legal and physical custody of their son.

The singer made her big screen debut in the 2010 musical Burlesque. She began an offscreen relationship with production assistant Matt Rutler. Aguilera is currently a mentor on NBC's The Voice alongside Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green.