Reality Star Julia Lemigova Overcame the Tragic Death of Her Son Before Joining 'RHOM'

The Real Housewives franchise's first openly lesbian star, Julia Lemigova, who joined The Real Housewives of Miami made waves during her debut season — and not solely for the fact that she’s the first Housewife in a same-sex marriage.

The former (and last!) Miss USSR revealed many shocking details about her life throughout her time on the RHOM, which began in Season 4.

Although she appears to have a picture-perfect life now, she's gone through many obstacles, including the mysterious death of her five-month-old son and the gruesome murder of the child’s father, European businessman Edouard Stern.

Julia has discussed the death of her son, Maximillian, several times on RHOM. However, in Season 6, she revealed more heartbreaking details about navigating her son's loss decades after it occurred.

Julia always dreamt of leaving her country for the west and after she became Miss USSR, the beauty queen moved to Paris. According to Meaww, it was there that Julia met Edouard Stern — a friend of Nicolas Sarkozy's and one of the wealthiest businessmen in Europe — who became smitten with her.

The two started dating and although they never married, Julia gave birth to their son Maximillian in October 1999. Sadly, just five and a half months later, the baby died at Necker Hospital in Paris.

Initial reports claimed that the baby died of natural causes, but a concealed autopsy revealed that he had traces of diazepam in his bloodstream. The medical examiner also concluded that the baby had been violently shaken before his death.

Soon after, the nanny that Edouard had hired to look after Maximillian at the time of his death went missing. “I don’t know if I ever completely survived the loss of my son,” the Real Housewives of Miami star told Page Six. “Part of me is dead forever.”

Julia went on to describe the incredibly difficult time she went through after losing her son, and admitted that, at times, she too wanted to die so she could join him. But in the end, she managed to rebuild her life and credited her wife, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, with helping her do so.

In 2005, Edouard Stern was found murdered in his locked penthouse apartment in Geneva. The banker had four bullet wounds and was in a head-to-toe flesh-colored latex suit.

According to Reuters, a French woman named Cecile Brossard confessed to shooting Edouard after they had sadomasochistic sex. Cecile shot her longtime lover following an argument they had over $1 million that Edouard had put in her Swiss account, which Cecile had demanded as proof that he loved her.

However, Edouard blocked the money after she refused to return it and Cecile said that she shot him with his own revolver after he told her, “One million dollars is a lot of money to pay a wh--e.” She then cleaned up the apartment of evidence and got rid of the murder weapon in Lake Geneva.

Julia believed that the death of her son was connected to Edouard’s and, according to the DailyMail, the French police investigated this claim in 2010. Sadly, the circumstances around her son's death were never cleared up.

While Julia chooses to focus on the life she now has post-tragedy, the Bravolebrity was reminded on RHOM of how much her life had changed since the deaths of her ex, Eduardo, and their son, Maximillian. In Season 6, Ep. 14, "Row, Row, Row Me Off This Boat," Julia and the Miami group visited a historic church during their Mexico City trip. Alexia Echevarria organized the. group to see the church and pray to the Birgin Guadalupe on the trip.

Although many of the ladies in the group were excited to see the landmark, Julia was visibly not. She explained later in a confessional that she stopped going to church and struggled to be religious after her son passed away.

"I went to church, but I still didn't get any answers," Julia explained of her relationship with faith. "In my case, it gave me more grief and pain. I just cannot walk into a church that easily."

Julia ultimately decided to go to the church, where she shared that she continued thinking about her son. Unfortunately, Julia was triggered by the tragedy again during the cast's trip on a gondola. During the ride, they went through the Island of the Dolls section. He explained that a man named Julian Santana was grieving a woman who had drowned in the area. He then explained that the man would pray to the dolls for comfort.

Julia immediately became emotional as she watched the dolls hanging on the line. She then shared that, while her co-stars and others could look at the dolls without any qualms, now that she's lived it and seen her son die up close, she doesn't find visiting the landmark "entertaining." Fortunately, her co-stars supported her every step of the way!