Rebecca Villalobos, also known professionally as Rebecca Justice, is much more than the longtime wife of former MLB star David Justice. She is a former professional model, furniture and jewelry designer, entrepreneur, and mother whose creative career grew out of fashion—and later out of a devastating event that destroyed her family home.
Rebecca and David married on February 8, 2001, after meeting at an Atlanta restaurant the previous year. More than 25 years later, they remain together, living a much quieter family life than the headlines that once surrounded David’s earlier marriage to actress Halle Berry.
Rebecca’s story became especially interesting after the 2007 Witch Creek Fire destroyed the Justice family home in San Diego County. Rebuilding that house pushed her deeper into furniture and interior design and eventually helped inspire her jewelry work. What began as a painful family loss unexpectedly became a new professional chapter.
Who Is Rebecca Villalobos?
Rebecca Villalobos Justice is an American designer, entrepreneur, and former model.
She grew up in the San Diego area, and a detailed profile from Ranch & Coast identifies her specifically as a Poway native. Her parents are Dennis and Esperanza Villalobos, and the same profile also identifies her brother as Marcos Villalobos.
Rebecca eventually entered the fashion world and studied the subject formally rather than simply falling into modeling.
Her professional biography says she graduated from Long Beach State University with a degree in Design and Fashion Merchandising. She later worked with companies including Moda Prima, Guess Corporation, and Elle Active while also working professionally as a model.
Those experiences became the foundation for the businesses she developed later.
When Was Rebecca Villalobos Born?
Rebecca’s exact date of birth is surprisingly difficult to verify.
Some online biography websites give specific dates, including August 16, 1973, but stronger sources such as her own professional biography and established interviews do not confirm that date.
For that reason, it is better not to present an exact birthday or age as established fact.
What is confirmed much more clearly is that Rebecca grew up in the San Diego area and later returned there with David to raise their family.
That connection to Southern California has remained important throughout her adult life.
What Was Rebecca Villalobos’s Early Life Like?
Rebecca has not published a detailed autobiography about her childhood.
However, her later interviews provide a few clues about the environment that influenced her.
She grew up in a Latino Catholic household, and religious art and European-style religious imagery later became important influences on her design work. In discussing her furniture, Rebecca has spoken about being drawn to crosses, crowns, cathedrals, distressed finishes, and Old World architecture.
That background eventually became visible in both her home and her businesses.
Her work was not simply based on whatever style happened to be popular.
Much of it came from things she had known since childhood.
Where Did Rebecca Villalobos Go to College?
Rebecca attended Long Beach State University.
Her official professional biography says she earned a degree in Design and Fashion Merchandising.
That detail is important because Rebecca is sometimes described online as though she simply became a designer because she married a wealthy athlete and had access to expensive homes.
Her education shows that her interest in fashion and design existed independently.
Before furniture, jewelry, and luxury interiors, there was formal training in design and merchandising.
That education helped connect the different stages of her career.
Was Rebecca Villalobos a Model?
Yes.
Rebecca worked professionally as a model.
Her official biography lists professional modeling among her early career experiences, while a detailed profile of her furniture business describes her as a model before she became heavily involved in design.
Rebecca has said she does not miss the modeling lifestyle itself.
What she does miss is the creative side—the fashion, artistry, styling, and transformation involved in producing an image.
That distinction helps explain why she eventually found a comfortable place in design.
She could keep the creativity without continuing to live the modeling lifestyle.
What Was Exotic Spices?
Before her furniture career, Rebecca created a calendar project called Exotic Spices.
Her professional biography describes it as a professionally produced calendar featuring ethnic women.
Rebecca later explained that she wanted the project to showcase beauty across different ethnic backgrounds.
The calendar attracted attention, but it did not become the single project that defined her career.
Marriage and motherhood soon became much bigger parts of her life.
Her creative interests, however, never disappeared.
They simply moved into different forms.
How Did Rebecca Villalobos Meet David Justice?
Rebecca and David met in Atlanta in 2000.
Rebecca told Ranch & Coast that they met at a restaurant the night before the Super Bowl.
David asked for her phone number.
Rebecca did not give it to him.
Instead, she took his number.
The next day, they watched the Super Bowl together at the home of one of David’s friends.
According to Rebecca, they soon became inseparable.
It is a small detail, but it gives the story personality.
David may have been the famous baseball player, but Rebecca clearly was not immediately overwhelmed by celebrity.
When Did Rebecca Villalobos Marry David Justice?
Rebecca and David married on February 8, 2001.
At that point, David was still an active Major League Baseball player.
He had already spent years as one of baseball’s recognizable stars, particularly with the Atlanta Braves.
Rebecca therefore experienced the final stage of his playing career alongside him.
David eventually retired after the 2002 season.
As of 2026, Rebecca and David have been married for more than 25 years, with no credible current report of divorce or separation.
Who Is David Justice?
David Justice was born on April 14, 1966, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He became a major baseball star after reaching the MLB with the Atlanta Braves in 1989.
His career included time with the Braves, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Oakland Athletics. He was the 1990 National League Rookie of the Year and later became the 2000 American League Championship Series MVP.
David was also part of championship teams and became especially recognizable during the Braves’ dominant years in the 1990s.
After retiring, he worked in baseball broadcasting, including roles with ESPN and the YES Network.
His baseball career also became part of popular culture when actor Stephen Bishop portrayed him in Moneyball.
A natural related article would be David Justice’s baseball career, World Series success, and life after MLB.
Was David Justice Married Before Rebecca Villalobos?
Yes.
David’s most famous earlier relationship was with actress Halle Berry.
They married in 1993 and divorced in 1997.
Their breakup received intense media attention and continued generating headlines long after the marriage ended.
David later had a relationship with Nicole Foster, with whom he had his oldest son, David Jr.
Rebecca entered David’s life after those relationships.
Their marriage has followed a much less publicly dramatic path.
They have appeared together at events and discussed their family publicly at times, but they have generally centered their lives around their children, home, and businesses rather than celebrity attention.
How Many Children Do Rebecca and David Justice Have?
This detail is often reported incorrectly.
Rebecca and David’s household includes three children: David Jr., Dionisio, and Raquel. Rebecca’s own website describes the couple as having three children together in a family sense.
Biological records provide a more precise picture.
David Jr. was born in December 1999 from David’s previous relationship with Nicole Foster. Rebecca and David then had son Dionisio Justice, born in June 2002, and daughter Raquel Justice, born in June 2004.
So Rebecca helped raise three children in the household, while Dionisio and Raquel are the two children she and David share biologically.
That distinction is useful because many online profiles simply describe all three as Rebecca’s biological children.
Who Is Raquel Justice?
Raquel Justice is Rebecca and David’s daughter.
She was born in Poway, California, in June 2004 and eventually entered acting. IMDb identifies Rebecca as her mother and describes Rebecca as a designer and former model.
Raquel’s interest in performing received an unexpected boost from her family’s appearance on reality television.
In 2014, the Justices appeared on Celebrity Wife Swap.
The experience reportedly encouraged Raquel to take acting more seriously.
She later built television credits of her own.
A useful internal-link opportunity would be Raquel Justice’s acting career and life as David Justice’s daughter.
Did Rebecca Villalobos Appear on Celebrity Wife Swap?
Yes.
Rebecca and David participated in a 2014 episode of Celebrity Wife Swap involving musician Dweezil Zappa’s family.
The appearance gave viewers a rare look at Rebecca outside carefully photographed design and charity events.
But she did not use reality television as the beginning of a full-time television career.
There was no long-running reality series built around the Justice household.
Instead, Rebecca returned to the things that had already become important to her:
Family.
Design.
Business.
And life in San Diego.
Why Did Rebecca and David Choose San Diego?
For Rebecca, San Diego was home.
She described herself as a “home-girl San Diego” when discussing the family’s decision to settle there after David retired.
Privacy was also important.
Rebecca explained that life around San Diego allowed the family to live more normally than in places where David’s celebrity attracted constant attention.
The couple eventually established their family in Poway.
Rebecca’s parents, Dennis and Esperanza, were also closely integrated into the household and had their own space in the family home described by Ranch & Coast.
This helps explain why Rebecca’s life after modeling became increasingly centered on home and family.
What Happened to Rebecca’s Home in 2007?
In 2007, the Witch Creek Fire destroyed the Justice family’s San Diego County home.
The loss was devastating.
Rebecca later recalled losing family photographs, memorabilia, personal possessions, and items connected with David’s baseball career.
A Ranch & Coast profile described how the family had left to stay near the coast, believing the property would be safe.
Then came the news that the house was gone.
For Rebecca, the loss went beyond expensive possessions.
The home contained family memories.
The children saw the place they considered safe reduced to ashes.
Rebecca later described falling into a deep period of sadness after the fire.
But rebuilding created an unexpected new direction.
How Did the Fire Change Rebecca Villalobos’s Career?
Rebecca decided that if she had to rebuild, she wanted the new home to feel completely personal.
She had become frustrated with using the same furniture and vendors found in other luxury homes.
So she began designing pieces herself.
Rebecca studied European cathedrals, Spanish interiors, chateaus, Tuscan villas, and Old World architecture for inspiration.
She then began working with designer and furniture manufacturer Marie Cunning of Andrew Morgan Furniture.
Rebecca brought sketches and ideas.
Cunning helped turn them into real furniture.
The project gave Rebecca something positive to concentrate on after the fire.
Eventually, other people began asking about the pieces.
A private rebuilding project was turning into a business.
What Is the Rebecca Justice Furniture Collection?
Rebecca and Marie Cunning developed custom furniture that eventually became the Rebecca Justice Collections.
Furniture industry reporting in 2012 described two lines: the Villa de Justicia Furniture Collection and the San Miguel de Allende Collection.
The designs were heavily influenced by European and Latin architecture.
Rebecca’s professional site says her Latin and European heritage and faith-based upbringing influenced the collections.
Her designs often included distressed finishes, carved wood, crosses, crowns, medallions, and decorative details inspired by cathedrals and historic European buildings.
Rebecca wanted furniture that did not look mass-produced.
Individuality was central to the idea.
What Is House of Sacred Flame?
Rebecca’s creative work eventually expanded from furniture into jewelry.
She and Marie Cunning developed House of Sacred Flame, a jewelry collection built around natural stones, antique-style European medallions, and symbolic designs.
The idea again grew from rebuilding after the fire.
Rebecca’s official account says the destruction of the family home led her to think more deeply about meaningful objects and the emotional connection people have with them.
Her Catholic upbringing also became an important influence.
A 2024 profile described pieces inspired by religious symbols and saints, with some designs named after people important to Rebecca, including her mother Esperanza.
The jewelry therefore became more than a fashion extension.
It connected design with memory, spirituality, and recovery.
Did Rebecca Turn Tragedy Into a Business?
In a very real sense, yes.
But describing the fire as simply a “business opportunity” would miss the emotional side.
Rebecca has said losing the home left her deeply upset.
Designing the replacement home gave her a project.
That project became furniture.
Furniture led to collaboration.
Collaboration eventually expanded into jewelry.
The result was a career path she had not originally planned.
Her story is therefore less about immediately seeing opportunity and more about finding creativity after a painful event.
What Is Rebecca’s Design Style?
Rebecca favors an ornate Old World look.
Her influences include Spanish and Mexican design, European cathedrals, Tuscan villas, castles, chateaus, and religious artwork.
She has spoken about liking objects that look aged rather than newly manufactured.
Her furniture has incorporated details such as hand carving, medallions, elaborate fabrics, crosses, crowns, and even Swarovski crystals.
The style is intentionally dramatic.
Rebecca was not trying to design anonymous furniture that could fit unnoticed into any house.
She wanted pieces with identity.
That approach reflects something she learned while rebuilding her own home: she did not want to walk into someone else’s house and discover the exact same furniture.
What Does Rebecca Say About Motherhood?
Motherhood appears to be one of Rebecca’s strongest priorities.
In an interview about her design career, she made clear that she did not view children and business as two equal items that had to be perfectly “balanced.”
Her children came first.
Business fit around that responsibility.
This helps explain why Rebecca did not continue chasing a full-time modeling career after marriage and pregnancy.
She still loved fashion and creativity.
But she no longer wanted the lifestyle attached to professional modeling.
Design offered a different path.
She could create while remaining closely connected to her family.
How Did David Support Rebecca’s Design Career?
David has publicly credited Rebecca with the creative vision behind their home.
During the Ranch & Coast tour of Villa Justicia, he joked that his main contribution was paying for it, while Rebecca handled the design.
That comment was playful, but it highlighted a real division of roles.
Rebecca developed the aesthetic.
She worked with designers and craftspeople.
She chose details.
And the resulting house became a showcase for the furniture business that followed.
By then, David had retired from baseball, which also meant the couple had more opportunity to build a settled family life together.
Is Rebecca Villalobos Still Married to David Justice in 2026?
Yes.
Current public information continues to identify Rebecca as David Justice’s wife, with no credible report of divorce or separation. Their marriage began on February 8, 2001.
That means they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in February 2026.
Their relationship has lasted through several major changes.
David retired from professional baseball.
Their children grew up.
Their home burned down.
They rebuilt.
Rebecca developed new businesses.
And daughter Raquel entered entertainment.
Through those changes, the marriage has remained intact publicly.
What Is Rebecca Villalobos’s Net Worth?
Rebecca Villalobos’s individual net worth is not reliably verified.
Some celebrity biography websites publish precise estimates, but there is no strong public financial documentation supporting those numbers.
Rebecca has several legitimate professional activities.
She modeled.
She created a calendar project.
She developed furniture.
She worked in jewelry.
And she has had private clients.
David also earned significant money during his Major League Baseball career.
But a household’s wealth is not automatically the same as Rebecca’s personal net worth.
Without reliable financial records, an exact figure would be speculation.
What Is Rebecca Villalobos Doing Now?
Rebecca continues to be publicly associated with her design and jewelry work.
Her professional website remains centered on Rebecca Justice Collections and House of Sacred Flame, while the jewelry brand continues to describe the 2007 fire and rebuilding process as the origin of its story.
She also remains closely associated with family life in Southern California.
Rebecca has never appeared especially interested in fame for its own sake.
She once explained that fame was not the family’s priority; she preferred using attention to promote something she genuinely cared about.
That may be the simplest way to understand her public life.
Visibility is useful to her when it supports her work.
Celebrity itself is not the goal.
Interesting Facts About Rebecca Villalobos
Rebecca is a Poway native who studied Design and Fashion Merchandising at Long Beach State University. She later worked as a professional model and gained experience with companies including Guess Corporation and Elle Active.
She met David Justice at an Atlanta restaurant in 2000. When he asked for her number, she refused and took his instead. They married the following year.
The 2007 Witch Creek Fire destroyed their family home and many personal possessions. Rebuilding the property eventually helped launch Rebecca’s furniture and jewelry businesses.
Rebecca’s furniture designs draw inspiration from European cathedrals, castles, Spanish-Mexican design, and religious artwork.
Her House of Sacred Flame jewelry collection grew from the same rebuilding process and uses symbolic medallions and natural stones.
She and David have now been married for more than 25 years.
Final Thoughts
Rebecca Villalobos first became familiar to many people because she married David Justice.
But her own story did not begin with baseball.
She grew up in the San Diego area.
She studied Design and Fashion Merchandising.
She modeled professionally.
She worked in fashion.
And she experimented with entrepreneurship before becoming a baseball star’s wife.
Then she met David in Atlanta in 2000.
Their first interaction already showed some of Rebecca’s personality: when the famous athlete asked for her number, she took his instead.
They married in 2001.
David finished his baseball career.
The family settled in San Diego.
Rebecca focused increasingly on motherhood.
Then everything changed in 2007.
The Witch Creek Fire destroyed their home.
Photographs disappeared.
Family possessions disappeared.
Baseball memorabilia disappeared.
The physical place where the family had built memories was suddenly gone.
Rebecca could not replace those memories.
But she could rebuild.
She began designing a new home around her own vision rather than simply choosing whatever luxury furniture was available.
That process introduced her to Marie Cunning.
Furniture followed.
Then jewelry.
And eventually a painful family experience became the beginning of a much more personal creative career.
That is the part of Rebecca Villalobos’s story that makes her more than David Justice’s wife.
She did not become a designer because she married a famous athlete.
The interest was already there.
The education was already there.
The modeling and fashion experience were already there.
The fire simply forced those pieces of her life to come together in an unexpected way.
Today, Rebecca is a former model, designer, entrepreneur, wife, and mother whose marriage has survived more than a quarter-century.
Her name may always be connected with David Justice.
But her career shows that she created something recognizable of her own.
For more carefully researched celebrity biographies and family stories, visit Charles Magazine.
FAQs About Rebecca Villalobos
Who is Rebecca Villalobos?
Rebecca Villalobos, also known as Rebecca Justice, is an American designer, former professional model, entrepreneur, and the longtime wife of retired MLB star David Justice. Her work includes furniture and jewelry design.
When did Rebecca Villalobos marry David Justice?
Rebecca and David married on February 8, 2001. As of 2026, they have been married for more than 25 years.
How did Rebecca Villalobos meet David Justice?
They met at an Atlanta restaurant in 2000, the night before the Super Bowl. David asked for her phone number, but Rebecca chose to take his instead. They watched the game together the next day and soon began a serious relationship.
How many children does Rebecca Villalobos have?
Rebecca and David share two biological children, Dionisio and Raquel. Rebecca also helped raise David’s older son, David Jr., from his previous relationship with Nicole Foster, making theirs a three-child household.
What does Rebecca Villalobos do for a living?
Rebecca has worked as a professional model, furniture designer, jewelry designer, and entrepreneur. She studied Design and Fashion Merchandising at Long Beach State University.
What happened to Rebecca and David Justice’s home?
Their San Diego County home was destroyed during the 2007 Witch Creek Fire. The rebuilding process helped inspire Rebecca’s furniture collection and later her House of Sacred Flame jewelry business.
Is Rebecca Villalobos still married to David Justice?
Yes. Current public sources continue to identify Rebecca and David as husband and wife, with no credible report of a divorce.
What is Rebecca Villalobos’s net worth?
Her individual net worth has not been independently verified. Online estimates should be treated cautiously because Rebecca has not publicly disclosed detailed personal financial information.
