Former sex symbol Raquel Welch spotted for first time in over 2 years
She’s back.
Raquel Welch was spotted for the first time in over two years while stopping by the Heritage Auctions building in Beverly Hills on Friday.
Paparazzi caught the 81-year-old actress — who rose to fame as a sex symbol of the 1960s — looking casual in a white top, black pants and platform wedges paired with a straw hat and stylish eyeglasses.
In several of the snaps, Welch wears a face mask due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; she also appeared to be holding on to her breasts as she strolled through the 90210.
Prior to her recent daytime outing, fans hadn’t seen or heard from Welch since her 2019 interview with the U.K.’s Sunday Post. While chatting with the outlet, the entertainer — who made a name for herself in such films as “Bedazzled,” “The Biggest Bundle of Them All” and “One Million Years B.C.” — explained that she enjoys keeping a “low profile” after decades of fame.
Still, Welch admitted that it’s “nice to be noticed” occasionally.
“I think it is much better than not being noticed!” she said at the time. “My whole career has been about being noticed, just like any other actor or actress, so I am grateful that people are still interested.”
In addition to iconic film roles, the Golden Globe winner was known for her string of public romances. The four-time divorcée’s personal life frequently grabbed headlines throughout her marriages to first husband James Westley Welch, producer Patrick Curtis, filmmaker André Weinfeld and, finally, actor Richie Palmer.
Welch, born in Chicago as Jo Raquel Tejada, has relished her freedom as a single woman for more than a decade following her 2008 divorce from Palmer.
“I love men and I love their company, but I am too independent and self-motivated,” she told Elle magazine in 2011. “I’m willing to date but, quite frankly, there is a diminishing group of eligible people at my age.”
“I don’t mind the traditional roles of male and female but, as you can tell, I am a very strong-minded woman,” she added.
“I’m sure I would be a challenge for an awful lot of men. They wouldn’t want to deal with it or, if they would like to deal with it, maybe I’m just not that interested.”