At the tender age of 16, a fresh-faced Brigitte Nielsen left Copenhagen with dreams of becoming a famous model in the USA. With her sharp Scandinavian features and statuesque build, she quickly caught the attention of designer brands like Armani, Versace, and Ferré.
But in 1985, the Dane proved to the world she could act as well. Producer Dino De Laurentiis saw Nielsen on the cover of a magazine and was captivated by her powerful look. After a quick screen test, he offered her the lead female role in Red Sonja, starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In the very same year, Nielsen played Ludmilla Drago in Rocky IV, after she was cast by Sylvester Stallone. Next came Cobra (1986), where she was back on screen with her then-husband Stallone. In 1987, she showed off her versatility by acting as a cold-blooded criminal mastermind in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).
As far as on-screen debuts go, the 80s treated Nielsen incredibly well.
Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Secret Affair, Explained
During the filming of Red Sonja, Nielsen had an affair with Schwarzenegger, while he had already been in a relationship with Maria Shriver for about seven years.
That same year, she met and married Sylvester Stallone after dating for just six months. She didn’t reveal the Schwarzenegger affair publicly until her 2011 memoir, and Schwarzenegger confirmed it himself in 2012.
Decades later, this affair remains one of the most talked-about chapters of Nielsen’s career — often overshadowing her blockbuster success.
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Did the Schwarzenegger Affair Actually Affect Brigitte Nielsen’s Career?
No, not directly. For one thing, Nielsen didn’t publicly reveal the Schwarzenegger affair until her 2011 memoir. Therefore, it couldn’t have been responsible for the work she did or didn’t get during the late 80s and 90s.
What actually affected her standing at the time was the Stallone marriage itself. It ended after just 19 months, and attracted plenty of public scrutiny and tabloid noise.
During that same period (while still married to Stallone), Nielsen was reportedly involved with Beverly Hills Cop II director Tony Scott.
Scott later admitted the affair had contributed to the end of his marriage to Glynis Sanders, describing it as the reason they divorced.
Nielsen has said the fallout stuck with her professionally, too — telling OWN’s Where Are They Now? that she was “basically blacklisted” in Hollywood after the divorce.
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Brigitte Nielsen’s Career After Stallone: B-Movies, Tony Scott, and Reality TV
Throughout the 90s, Nielsen drifted out of big studio films and toward B-movies and European productions.
Most notably, she appeared in The Double 0 Kid (1992), Chained Heat II (1993), Galaxis (1995), Snowboard Academy (1997) and Paparazzi (1998), while also starring in the popular Italian fantasy series Fantaghirò from 1992 to 1996.
In the 2000s, things took an interesting turn. Here’s a basic timeline of a few important events:
- 2004: Joins The Surreal Life, sparking a widely covered relationship with Flavor Flav
- 2008: Appears on Celebrity Rehab, publicly addressing her struggle with alcohol
- 2012: Experiences a relapse, which she’s also spoken about openly
Brigitte Nielsen Returns as Ludmilla Drago in Creed II
Then, in 2018, Nielsen stepped back into the role that had made her famous. More than 30 years after the original Rocky IV, she returned as Ludmilla Vobet Drago in Creed II.
The casting decision was kept largely under wraps from the public. Dolph Lundgren knew from the script that Nielsen had been cast — “I knew she was in the picture,” he later told Slashfilm — but he’s said seeing her show up in person on set, stopping by his trailer to say hello, still caught him off guard.
The same year, at 54, she and husband Mattia Dessì welcomed daughter Frida, after what she’s called nearly a decade of trying. “I have been wanting this little girl for 10 years,” Nielsen told ET Online at the Creed II premiere, calling Frida a miracle baby. She was reportedly pregnant with Frida while filming Creed II.
Where Is Brigitte Nielsen Now? Her Life With Mattia Dessì and Daughter Frida
Settled, mostly. Today, Nielsen lives in Los Angeles with Dessi (her husband since 2006) and their daughter Frida.
In February 2025, at 61, she closed Dsquared2’s 30th-anniversary Milan Fashion Week show dressed as a cop, where she “arrested” the label’s founders and marched them down the runway in cuffs. The crime? Creating fashion that was ‘too fierce.’ “Dsquared takes Hollywood to Milan. They are amazing. The No. 1 show in Milano,” Nielsen declared afterward, according to the Associated Press.
Nielsen has experienced a resurgence in her modeling career, posing for various major campaigns over the past few years. She is active on social media, where she often posts about her family, her dogs, and her work.
Brigitte Nielsen’s Legacy: More Than a Hollywood Scandal
When you strip away all the tabloid drama, Brigitte Nielsen’s career is genuinely impressive. She’s appeared in dozens of films, walked runways around the world, and landed covers for some seriously big-name magazines.
Compared with all of that, the Schwarzenegger affair is really just a footnote in a much bigger story of a young Dane who went on to achieve international success.
