Emely Fardo, the Brazilian model and photographer who married former NFL quarterback and Bachelor host Jesse Palmer, met her future husband in 2017 at a Rumble boxing class in New York City. The couple secretly eloped in Connecticut on 5 June 2020, kept the marriage private for over a year, and later held a second wedding at Château de la Gaude in Provence, France, in July 2022. Their daughter, Ella Reine Palmer, was born on 10 January 2024, and the family lives in Miami.
Early Life and Career of Emely Fardo
Emely Fardo was born on 6 December 1985 in Curitiba, Brazil, making her 40 years old as of October 2026. After growing up in Curitiba, she moved to New York City in 2011 to pursue a modelling career. According to a 2016 Instagram post, she signed with New York Model Management that year. Since then, she has regularly shared glimpses of her modelling work, including runway moments, on her Instagram account.
Besides modelling, Fardo has also explored photography. She frequently showcases her professional shots on Instagram, capturing images of delicacies and drinks from NYC restaurants she has visited. Her Instagram feed blends runway shots with travel photography and family moments, offering a window into her life with Jesse and their daughter. Emely Palmer (@emelyfardopalmer) currently has over 28,000 followers on Instagram.
Meeting and Engagement
Jesse Palmer met his wife, Emely Fardo, in 2017 at Rumble, a popular boxing class in New York City. The meeting was unplanned, as Fardo was leaving when Palmer arrived. Palmer recalled in a July 2019 interview with the Daily Mail: "I saw her and thought she was beautiful." He added: "She wasn't in there when I met her; she was entering while I was leaving. Two weeks later, at Rumble, we went on our first date after we finally connected."
Two years after they met, the former professional footballer Jesse Palmer proposed to Emely Fardo in July 2019. The proposal took place in Champagne, France, during their first holiday as a couple. Palmer, who was a Daily Mail TV host at the time, delivered half of his proposal in Portuguese, Fardo's native language. He later told the Daily Mail that he had surprised Emely by hiring her favourite wedding photographer to capture the occasion. Speaking about their relationship, Palmer said: "She has taught me, cares for me like no one else. She has made me be the best version of myself. She loves me unconditionally. I'm head over heels for her."
The Secret Connecticut Elopement and France Wedding
They were initially set to tie the knot in France in 2020 but ultimately opted for a quiet ceremony in Connecticut because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple kept their marriage private and did not reveal they had wed until the following year. In October 2021, the pair confirmed they had been married since June 2020. Palmer exclusively told Us Weekly: "We had originally planned a wedding in Provence, France, for summer 2020, which was postponed until summer of 2021 due to the pandemic, but we didn't want to wait any longer."
He added: "We were only able to invite a small group of close friends that live in the greater N.Y.C. area, and that were in quarantine at the time. We had a lovely afternoon and look forward to celebrating our love with our parents and immediate families all together soon!" After their pandemic elopement, Jesse Palmer and Emely Fardo hosted a second wedding in Provence, France, at Château de la Gaude, an 18th-century estate nestled within a winery. Jesse Palmer shared on his Instagram page: "After cancelling our wedding twice due to Covid and then eloping in Connecticut, Emely and I finally tied the knot (again) in front of our immediate families in Provence, France. Everything was PERFECT. This was the day we had been envisioning for the past 3 years. Such a magical day full of love, tears (I maybe cried…a lot) and gratitude."
Family Life and Daughter Ella Reine
Jesse Palmer and his wife Emely Fardo welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Ella Reine, on 10 January 2024. Palmer told People in 2023: "I have two brothers and four nephews, so we are finally getting a female addition to the Palmer family! Emely has always wanted a daughter and she is so maternal by nature, I've always known that she is going to be the best mom." Emely herself said: "I'm so excited to share life with our daughter, take her on fun adventures and share with her the lessons this life has taught us."
While hosting the live Golden Bachelor Wedding on 4 January 2024, Jesse Palmer revealed he was on standby because his wife was due to give birth at any moment. Emely gave birth just six days later, on 10 January 2024. The couple also share an Aussiedoodle dog named LouLou, whom they adopted on 8 October 2020. They created an Instagram account for the dog, named 'louloutheaussiedoodle,' with the biography indicating the name of the dog as Mademoiselle Loulou Palmer.
Jesse Palmer has been married only once, to Emely Fardo. He appeared as the Season 5 Bachelor in 2004 and ended the season in a relationship with Jessica Bowlin, but they split a month later. Celebrity Net Worth estimates his net worth to be approximately $4 million, with income sources including his NFL career with the New York Giants (2001–2004) and San Francisco 49ers (2005), sports broadcasting at ESPN and Fox Sports, reality TV hosting, and Food Network shows. The couple currently lives in Miami with their daughter Ella, and Emely remains active in modelling and photography while Jesse continues to host the Bachelor franchise on ABC.
