Model and actress Joanna Krupa is embarking on a new adventure with a few adorable — and furry — friends by her side.
Krupa, 46, exclusively spoke with Us Weekly on October 15, ahead of the release of her new pet adoption YouTube series titled Street Rescue. The series, which is set to launch weekly episodes at 4 p.m. PST beginning Friday, October 24, comes years after Krupa, along with her sister, Marta Krupa, and friend Gabi Gutierrez, founded Angels for Animals Rescue nonprofit.
“Living in Los Angeles, California, the vetting costs are through the roof. I mean, I make jokes of this because, you know, if somebody asked me, Do I have any Hermès bags? I have zero,” Krupa told Us. “I probably [could] have maybe a big collection of Hermès bags, if I really cared about that, which I don’t. But just to show you, you know, that I spend so much money on animal rescue and even my own animals.”
Krupa told Us the series is completely funded by herself and producers, and it was important to them to do so because they wanted to take care of not only the pets but also the people who love them.
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“I know how hard it is for people that live paycheck to paycheck, or that are low income, or that are homeless. They have their fur babies that are their best friend, but sometimes it gets to a point in life where they get sick or need to get spayed, neutered or any medical situation, and they can’t afford to help them,” Krupa said. “That’s why thousands of animals are in the shelters, because a lot of the family members can’t afford their care once they find out they’re sick, and the medical veterinary bills are super high. So the reason we wanted to do this docuseries is where we help the low-income families and also homeless people with their fur babies, and give them the help that they need.”
Krupa is also partnering with different low-income and volunteer veterinary services.
“We’re trying to build a community of all the different animal rescuers in California or nationwide that can come together and help,” Krupa told Us. “And also, cross-promoting animals in need that need adoption. Because so many animals get killed every year at the shelters, cats and dogs. It’s really overwhelming. And with this type of show, I feel we can save so many lives by promoting adoption and giving back.”
In addition to her dedication to pet adoption, Krupa is a dedicated mom and shares a daughter, Asha-Leigh, with her ex-husband Douglas Nunes. Krupa opened up to Us about being a single mother and what has surprised her most about her almost 6-year-old.
“She’s like a sponge. She absorbs everything, like, the things that come out of her mouth, she’s just so smart, so intelligent, so full of life, such a happy child,” Krupa said. “The most important thing for me is how much she loves our animals. We have three dogs now. Even if we’re driving and she sees somebody asking for money on the street, she’s like, ‘Mommy, can you please help this person? Can you please give them money?’ She has such a heart of gold.”
Krupa, who split from Nunes in 2023 after four years of marriage, has been open about her regret of not becoming a mother sooner.
“When you’re younger, you definitely don’t realize that you come to an age where it’s not that easy,” Krupa told Us. “A model who I’ve worked with for my show in Poland, Top Model, she just told me, she’s like 28 and she just sadly had a miscarriage. So [it] just tells you that, it’s not always about age, but obviously, the younger you are and you want to start a family, the better it is. And plus, when you start at a young age, you can be like your child’s best friend. So I definitely do regret not starting earlier, but I am so grateful I have her.”
Krupa told Us the “hardest thing” is her daughter not having a special bond with a sibling.
“I have a sister, and I know how important [it] is to have a sibling,” Krupa said. “It’s not something that I’m definitely going to give up on. I definitely would dream for [Asha-Leigh] to have to have a sibling. But, I try my best to be the best mom ever. And just do a bunch of play dates, just so she always has her friends around.”
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Krupa has been hosting the Polish version of America’s Next Top Model — just Top Model — for 14 seasons.
“I’m the Polish Tyra [Banks],” Krupa joked. “Honestly, that kind of kept me away from the U.S. market, just because I loved being part of that show so much, and it keeps me so busy. And also, it opened up doors to different opportunities. And I love my two worlds. I love having my world away from Los Angeles, where I’m like, one of the biggest stars, even though it’s a small country.”
Krupa told Us that when she decided to launch Street Rescue and return to the U.S. market it had to be a project that she felt was “heartfelt” and was aimed at giving back.
“I decided that, OK, if I do something back in the U.S., it has to be something that gives back, is heartfelt, something that my daughter is going to be proud of,” Krupa said. “Because, obviously there are things in my past I’m not too proud of, some of the projects that I’ve done. But, it’s been over a decade, and you know, you grow as a person, and especially when you have kids, you look at life totally differently.”
Krupa appeared on season 2 of The Real Housewives of Miami in 2012 and departed the series the following year. She told Us that she’s “vaguely” kept up with the other Housewives who appeared on her season.
“I’ve talked to Lea [Black] and Karent [Sierra]. I haven’t seen the girls in a long time,” Krupa said. “I think the last person that I’ve seen was Ana [Quincoces]. I don’t really follow what the girls are up to. I don’t really keep very close with them [besides] once in a while. We’ll message with Karent and Ana, but I haven’t seen them. I haven’t been in Miami for a few years, so we haven’t really seen each other. But I like them. I respect them and wish them all the best.”
While Krupa says that dating is not a “priority” for her at the moment, she is open to something if it’s “super spontaneous and super easy.”
“If I met somebody, and it would be something that right off the bat, it would be a friendship, and it would be easy, like, I don’t want any drama in my life,” Krupa told Us. “I don’t want any headaches in my life. I don’t want any crazy ex-wives in my life.”
“For somebody to take my time away from my daughter and from my work… will have to be worth it where I’m just excited and you know, butterflies in my stomach and really want to take the effort to go out and date. So I don’t know. I don’t know if that person exists or not, but we’ll see. I mean, my friends make fun of me. They’re like, ‘Joanna, he’s not going to come knocking on your door.’ I’m like, ‘Well, maybe he will,’” Krupa continued.
As for what’s to come in the future, Krupa hinted to Us about a project that we can expect from her in the next couple months.
“I’ve been in the entertainment business for over 20 years, so I’m working on some of my own branding, my own products,” Krupa told Us. “That’s something that I wish I started sooner. So I decided that it’s time to take advantage of what I built over the years and do a product line where everyone will be able to afford it, but the quality will be as it would be an expensive item. I’m excited.”
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