20-year-old Brazilian Celso Santebanes has spent over $50,000 to transform himself into a real-life Ken doll. The young model is so obsessed with dolls that he even behaves like one. And now he’s actually giving the real Ken a run for his money by releasing his own line of figurines called ‘Celso Dolls’.
Celso Santebanes recently shared pictures of himself and his namesake toy on Instagram. “I went to the city to become a model,” he wrote. “I never expected to have a toy myself. I dreamt of becoming a human puppet, but having one in my image was completely unexpected.”
Celso, who has been a doll enthusiast all his life, said that he grew up with a shelf full of dolls. He claims that his family told him he looked like a doll himself since the age of 13. He’s been obsessed with being the perfect human puppet ever since, and his own personal transformation began after he won a modelling contest at age 16.
Photo: Instagram
His first decision was to change his last name from Borges Pereira to Santebanes, after his favorite character on a Mexican TV show. He then began to save money for all the surgery he needed to look like Ken. After four operations on his nose, chin and jaw, and silicon implants on his chest, Celso finally achieved the look of his dreams. “People are sometimes frightened by the way I look, and stop me to say how much I look like a doll!” he said.
Photo: Instagram
After the transformation, Celso shot to fame when he appeared on a talk show in Sao Paolo. He’s so popular now that he charges over $15,000 for a VIP appearance. “This is all so magical. My life has changed,” he said in an interview. “I feel like the whole of Brazil is supporting me.”
Photo: Instagram
He describes himself as a controversial person who does not like to go unnoticed. “I like to be different, I like to shock people, I am a perfectionist, but at the same time I have a huge heart,” he said.
Photo: Instagram
Of course, he does face his share of criticism. “I do suffer a lot of prejudice. But the world is full of judgemental people, I don’t care.” And he says that he still isn’t done with changing his appearance. “I think I’m 90 percent of what I want to be. I intend to do more surgeries, but do not know what. For now my investment is being in the gym, for Ken is strong and I am skinny.”
Photo: Instagram
Celso will be traveling to Los Angeles next month to launch his very own Celso Doll. He wants to star on a reality show and become a great artist. He also plans to join forces with Russian Barbie Valeria Lukyanova. “The human Ken bachelor is looking for his Barbie. Who wants to be my girlfriend? After all, no one is happy alone,” he declared.
via Recordista
