Meet Sanela Diana Jenkins, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ newest cast member – a refugee from Bosnia who ended up living in a US$87 million mansion next to the Kardashians
- Her A-list buddies include Hollywood glitterati like George Clooney, Guy Ritchie and Cindy Crawford, while the swimwear brand she helped launch is coveted by Kate Moss
- Now she lives in a US$13 million LA mansion next door to Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian – but before that she was a Bosnian refugee who made her own wealth in London
So who is the 48-year-old Sanela Diana Jenkins, the new accomplished and multifaceted Housewife?
She spent a year as a refugee
Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Jenkins grew up in a concrete-block flat in communist-era Yugoslavia. She was forced to flee the country after the 1992 Bosnian War and spent a year in Croatia as a refugee before escaping to London. After spending two years learning English at a night school, she enrolled in the City University London and obtained a degree in computer science and economics.
As quoted from her foundation page, Jenkins said that she chose maths as it was easier for her: “English is not a barrier to the language of mathematics.” During her years as a university student, Jenkins worked multiple jobs and said in an interview with The Guardian that she survived “on a diet of Toblerone”. She was granted UK citizenship after four years.
She has an entrepreneurial spirit
After university, Jenkins worked various odd jobs before opening a retail jewellery stand as her first entrepreneurial venture. She then partnered up with designer Melissa Odabash to launch the latter’s eponymous swimwear company, which became the “it” choice for A-listers like Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford and Elle Macpherson, among others.
Not stopping there, in 2009, the businesswoman launched another multimillion-dollar company – a lifestyle brand called Neuro Drinks that offers healthy and non-carbonated beverages, and has over 65,000 locations in the US and the UK.
Jenkins is also the CEO and founder of D Empire Entertainment, a full-service music label that represents emerging and established artists, according to her website.