'Going back to my roots': Aussie supermodel Jess Hart says she wants to raise her children, Baby-Rae and Glorious, in Ballarat after decades overseas
Australian supermodel Jess Hart has revealed she plans to return home and raise her children in Australia, after spending more than two decades living abroad.
The 39-year-old, who was born in Sydney and raised in Melbourne, has lived overseas since she was a teenager, first moving to Paris at age 15 to pursue her modelling career after winning Dolly magazine's Model Search in 2000.
Hart's career took off quickly, with high-profile campaigns for brands including Victoria's Secret, Guess, L'Oréal, Louis Vuitton and Max Mara.
She's graced the pages of Vogue and Sports Illustrated, and called cities like London, New York and Los Angeles home.
But now, with four-year-old daughter Baby-Rae, three-year-old son Glorious, and 11-year-old stepdaughter Wren in tow, Hart says she's preparing to lay down roots back in Victoria.
"I want my children to be half-Australian and half-American- not just Americans with Australian passports," she told Harper's Bazaar.
"I want them to be immersed in Australian culture and grow up the way we did."
The supermodel, known for her cheeky gap-toothed grin, is reportedly eyeing a permanent base near Ballarat in regional Victoria- the same area where her late mother Rae's family once lived.
Rae tragically died in January 2023 after a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"It would make my mum so happy," Hart said.
"[The region is] where her family had homes. I'm going back to my roots, my heritage."
She also revealed she's currently exploring schooling options that would allow the family to split their time between both countries.
While it's unclear whether Hart and her longtime partner, American NASCAR driver James Kirkham, are still together, she's made no secret of her desire to reconnect with Australia.
In September, Hart starred in a Qantas campaign alongside First Nations model Charlee Fraser, with creative direction from Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin.
When asked what she misses most about home, Hart quickly responded: "My friends and family."
More recently, the supermodel shared a string of sweet snaps from her trip back to Australia on Instagram, including time spent at Sydney's Crown with her children.
"Three little monkeys…. Just busy creating winter memories in Australia," she captioned the post.
She also made an appearance at Australian Fashion Week in May, opening the Bianca Spender show to the delight of fashion insiders.
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