Why Paulina Porizkova Feels Like She's 'Just Discovered Love' at 59: 'I Was Stupid for a Long Time'

Mar. 15, 2025

Paulina Porizkova on ‘TODAY.'.Photo:NBC

NBC

Paulina Porizkovais opening up about her new love — and how she feels she’s waiting a long time for the right guy to come along.During Friday, Jan. 31’sepisode of the TODAY show, the Swedish supermodel, 59, spoke openly about her relationship withwriter Jeff Greenstein. For Porizkova, who has also been candid abouther health struggles over the past several years, being in a new relationship as she nears 60 feels like she “just discovered love.““You went through a hard time. These last few years haven’t been easy but you are clearly on the other side,” host Savannah Guthrie acknowledged during her interview with Porizkova.“I am definitely on the other side, thank God,” the model replied, adding: that she’s “madly in love.“For Porizkova, who has been dating Greenstein for two years, their relationship presented her with brand-new ways to think about love and affection.“I feel like I’ve just discovered love,” she said. “I know, it’s crazy. There’s a whole story to it. I probably shouldwrite another book about this.“Porizkova and boyfriend Jeff Greenstein at a book signing in Atlanta, Georgia.Buckhead Village District"But I feel like what I thought love was — the butterflies, the familiarity and the anxiety — that’s not love. I think that’s cockroaches. I think that’s trauma calling you back home,” she continued. “I have a whole idea of what this is. Being in love, to feel treasured and safe and like you’re equal with you partner so there’s not that — ‘Leave, no, don’t leave.'“Porizkova was previously in a relationship with the late frontman of The Cars,Ric Ocasek. The former couple announced they hadsplit after 28 years of marriagein May 2018 — about a year before the singer’s death at age 75. They share sonsJonathan and Oliver.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.According to the model — who just recently partnered with Estée Lauder as a brand ambassador to advocate against ageism — her life experiences better prepared her to experience this new love to the fullest.“I’m afraid I was stupid for a long time,” Porizkova said, to which Guthrie replied: “Well weren’t we all! That’s a part of life, a different phase of life.““Well, that’s the wonderful part of being us, right? It’s like, we are smarter and our faces showed that we have lived and we are smarter,” the model added, opening up about embracing her age. “I’m so thrilled that Estée Lauder has discovered this same beauty that I keep seeing in me.“Paulina Porizkova for Estée Lauder.Estée LauderOn Thursday, Jan. 30, the beauty giant announced that Porizkov — who is returning to the brand after being an Estée Lauder spokesmodel from 1988-1995 — would step into a new role as a global brand ambassador, “solidifying her legacy as a beauty industry icon,” per a press release.Elsewhere in her conversation with Guthrie, theSports Illustratedalum spoke about her relationship with the beauty brand over the decades, adding that she was “thrilled” that Estée Lauder “has discovered this same beauty that I keep seeing in me.““Almost 40 years later, and I’m again picking up the mantle two work with Estée Lauder. The first time around, I felt like it was a job. I was working for Estée Lauter and it was a job for me and now, it’s a calling,” Porizkov said.“Because this way, working in conjunction with them, I get to spread my message wider that we are the best we’ve ever been and we should not be dismissed,” she finished. “At the age society says, ‘Women, go to pasture,’ we’re saying, ‘No, not so fast.'”

Paulina Porizkovais opening up about her new love — and how she feels she’s waiting a long time for the right guy to come along.

During Friday, Jan. 31’sepisode of the TODAY show, the Swedish supermodel, 59, spoke openly about her relationship withwriter Jeff Greenstein. For Porizkova, who has also been candid abouther health struggles over the past several years, being in a new relationship as she nears 60 feels like she “just discovered love.”

“You went through a hard time. These last few years haven’t been easy but you are clearly on the other side,” host Savannah Guthrie acknowledged during her interview with Porizkova.

“I am definitely on the other side, thank God,” the model replied, adding: that she’s “madly in love.”

For Porizkova, who has been dating Greenstein for two years, their relationship presented her with brand-new ways to think about love and affection.

“I feel like I’ve just discovered love,” she said. “I know, it’s crazy. There’s a whole story to it. I probably shouldwrite another book about this.”

Porizkova and boyfriend Jeff Greenstein at a book signing in Atlanta, Georgia.Buckhead Village District

Buckhead Village District

“But I feel like what I thought love was — the butterflies, the familiarity and the anxiety — that’s not love. I think that’s cockroaches. I think that’s trauma calling you back home,” she continued. “I have a whole idea of what this is. Being in love, to feel treasured and safe and like you’re equal with you partner so there’s not that — ‘Leave, no, don’t leave.'”

Porizkova was previously in a relationship with the late frontman of The Cars,Ric Ocasek. The former couple announced they hadsplit after 28 years of marriagein May 2018 — about a year before the singer’s death at age 75. They share sonsJonathan and Oliver.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

According to the model — who just recently partnered with Estée Lauder as a brand ambassador to advocate against ageism — her life experiences better prepared her to experience this new love to the fullest.

“I’m afraid I was stupid for a long time,” Porizkova said, to which Guthrie replied: “Well weren’t we all! That’s a part of life, a different phase of life.”

“Well, that’s the wonderful part of being us, right? It’s like, we are smarter and our faces showed that we have lived and we are smarter,” the model added, opening up about embracing her age. “I’m so thrilled that Estée Lauder has discovered this same beauty that I keep seeing in me.”

Paulina Porizkova for Estée Lauder.Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder

On Thursday, Jan. 30, the beauty giant announced that Porizkov — who is returning to the brand after being an Estée Lauder spokesmodel from 1988-1995 — would step into a new role as a global brand ambassador, “solidifying her legacy as a beauty industry icon,” per a press release.

Elsewhere in her conversation with Guthrie, theSports Illustratedalum spoke about her relationship with the beauty brand over the decades, adding that she was “thrilled” that Estée Lauder “has discovered this same beauty that I keep seeing in me.”

“Almost 40 years later, and I’m again picking up the mantle two work with Estée Lauder. The first time around, I felt like it was a job. I was working for Estée Lauter and it was a job for me and now, it’s a calling,” Porizkov said.

“Because this way, working in conjunction with them, I get to spread my message wider that we are the best we’ve ever been and we should not be dismissed,” she finished. “At the age society says, ‘Women, go to pasture,’ we’re saying, ‘No, not so fast.'”

source: people.com