Lyn May was born as Lilia Guadalupe Baymola Mayz in December 1952, in Acapulco, Mexico. She was once one of the most electrifying entertainers in Mexican show business.
May is of Chinese-Mexican descent, and she grew up in serious poverty by selling souvenirs to tourists and waiting tables before her natural gift for dance changed the course of her life.
Her rise began at the prestigious Tropicana nightclub in Acapulco, where she developed a signature style that combined traditional Mexican movement with sensual Tahitian and Hawaiian influences.
Her bold, unforgettable performances quickly made her one of the most sought-after entertainers in Mexico. By the late 1960s she had conquered Mexico City’s nightlife scene entirely.
Her transition into film made her a household name. She became one of the brightest stars of the “ficheras” genre, a wildly popular style of filmmaking in the 1970s and 1980s that mixed comedy, sensuality and cabaret culture.
She appeared in films including “Bellas de Noche” (1975), “Las Ficheras” (1977), “Noches de Cabaret” (1978) and “Tres Mexicanos Ardientes” (1986), sharing the screen with celebrated Mexican actors such as Vicente Fernández, Alfonso Zayas and Sasha Montenegro. Critics accused ficheras films of being exploitative, yet audiences kept coming back, and Lyn May became a sex symbol of the era.
When the ficheras genre began to fade in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lyn May faced the same reality that many women in entertainment encounter as they grow older. Younger actresses were taking over and roles became harder to find.
In an attempt to preserve her signature look, she sought out cosmetic procedures. What she received, however, was far from what she had hoped for.
According to sources, rather than safe enhancements, a friend injected her with stuff that permanently altered her face, leaving it swollen and distorted in ways that worsened over the years.
Tabloids and online commenters mocked her appearance without restraint. Rather than retreating from public life, she leaned directly into the controversy, continuing to make appearances and give interviews.
Her later years brought a series of eyebrow-raising revelations. In 2021, at 68, she announced she was pregnant by her much younger fiancé, Marcos Dueñas, a claim he later denied, saying their engagement had been exaggerated.
She also alleged a past affair with a former Mexican president, though she never publicly named him. The most unsettling disclosure came following the passing of her second husband, businessman Antonio Chiu.
Lyn May confessed that after he lost his battle with cancer, she had his body exhumed and slept beside him for several nights, a confession that disturbed even her most devoted supporters.
Today, Lyn May teaches Tahitian dance classes at the Plaza Kibbe Hotel in Cancun and performs at its bar on weekends. Younger generations have found her through social media, and she has since collaborated with avant-garde designers, becoming an unlikely fashion muse.
