Marisol Malaret biography: 13 things about Miss Universe 1970

Who is Marisol Malaret?

Marisol Malaret Contreras was the Puerto Rican television host, editor, entrepreneur, model and beauty queen who made history as the first Miss Universe from Puerto Rico, United States. She was 5’8″ tall.

Born in Utuado, Puerto Rico to José Antonio Malaret and Lydia Contreras, Marisol has a brother named Jesús Malaret Contreras, who was quadriplegic from a forceps injury at birth. Marisol and Jesus were young when Jose and Lydia died.

Marisol was married three times. Her first husband Butch James is a former model, her second husband Charles “Corky” Stroman is a musician and her third husband Frank Cué is an engineer born in Cuba.

Stroman and Marisol have a daughter named Sasha Stroman Malaret. Marisol hosted a television variety show called “Noche de Gala” with Eddie Miró and Sasha wrote for several television series including “East Los High” and “American Dad!”

While working as a secretary for a telephone company in Puerto Rico, a friend suggested that she try out for Miss Puerto Rico. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. On July 11, 1970, she represented Puerto Rico at Miss Universe 1970 and competed against 62 other candidates at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. She won the title.
2. “Mami”, the only film she starred in, was released in 1971. It was directed by Orestes Trucco, who died in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 8, 2010.
3. On July 24, 1971, she crowned her successor Miss Universe 1971 Georgina Rizk at the Miami Beach Auditorium.
4. On September 22, 1971, she was with Jennifer Hosten, Marilyn Helm and Keith Helm at Prunier’s Restaurant in Double Bay, New South Wales, Australia.
5. In 1973, she and Gladys Aguayo opened a fashion boutique in San Juan called La Femme. On February 10, 2023, Aguayo died at age 92.
6. On July 16, 1977, she was a Miss Universe 1977 judge at the National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
7. On November 15, 1975, she hosted an episode of “Festival de la canción OTI”.
8. In March 1979, she gave birth to Sasha.
9. On May 29, 2002, she was a Miss Universe 2002 judge at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan.
10. On September 30, 2016, she and Cué attended Julio Iglesias‘s concert at Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan.
11. On March 16, 2017, she was honored with a star in Paseo de la Fama in San Juan.
12. On October 13, 2022, she turned 72.
13. On March 19, 2023, she died in a hospital San Juan, Puerto Rico due to complications of a pulmonary condition.