Rita Hayworth, Hollywood’s luminous Golden Age icon, is often remembered for her breathtaking beauty and powerful screen presence.
But beyond the fame and five high-profile marriages, her most enduring legacy lives on through her two daughters—Rebecca Welles and Princess Yasmin Aga Khan.
Of the two, Yasmin remained closest to Hayworth, not only as a daughter but as a dedicated caregiver and passionate advocate for Alzheimer’s awareness.
A Royal Birth Amidst Stardom
Princess Yasmin Aga Khan was born on December 28, 1949, to Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan, an influential Pakistani diplomat and the son of Aga Khan III.
This made Yasmin a member of the prominent Aga Khan dynasty. At the time of her birth, her father was already the parent of two sons, including the current Aga Khan IV, Prince Karim, from his earlier marriage to British aristocrat Joan Yarde-Buller.
Though Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan divorced in 1953, they maintained a cordial relationship, allowing Yasmin to spend idyllic summers with her father in the South of France.
Her childhood was a unique blend of Hollywood glamour and European aristocracy, with her mother providing a structured, grounded upbringing. Hayworth was known to be protective—television was reserved for weekends, and dating was strictly monitored until Yasmin turned 16.
A Childhood Marked by Tragedy
Tragedy struck when Yasmin was just 10 years old—her father was killed in a car crash. According to Yasmin, the loss had a profound effect on her mother. “His death was a deep emotional shock to Mother,” she once shared, speculating that it may have triggered the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease in Hayworth.
As Hayworth’s behavior began to change, Yasmin, then a student in boarding school, started to notice unsettling signs—repetitive questions, confusion, and forgetfulness. She later reflected on these early moments with a mix of concern and helplessness, unsure of how to respond to what was then an under-recognized disease.
Putting Family Before Fame
Yasmin pursued classical singing from a young age and attended Buxton School in Massachusetts before enrolling at Bennington College.
She was passionate about music and initially planned to study in Europe. However, when her mother’s condition worsened, Yasmin made the selfless decision to set aside her dreams to provide full-time care for Hayworth.
Appointed legal conservator in 1981 after a Los Angeles court ruled Hayworth incapable of managing her affairs, Yasmin moved her mother to New York to oversee her care personally.
“I said, ‘Okay, this is more important than my career in music.’ And that was the right decision. I don’t have any regrets,” she told The Globe and Mail.
A Lifelong Fight Against Alzheimer’s
Witnessing her mother’s decline firsthand inspired Yasmin to become a powerful voice in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
In 1984, she founded the Rita Hayworth Gala in New York, a major fundraising event that has since raised over $86 million for the Alzheimer’s Association. She also held galas in Chicago, continuing the work well into 2024.
Her dedication extended far beyond gala events. Yasmin became president of Alzheimer’s Disease International and vice president of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association of America, lending her voice and influence to bring attention and funding to research and support services.
“I made the decision to share her story in the hopes of helping others,” she said. “I knew this would become my life’s work.”
Love, Loss, and Recognition
In 1985, Yasmin married shipping heir Basil Embiricos, with sensitivity to her mother’s deteriorating health influencing the decision to hold a civil ceremony. Later that year, she gave birth to her only child, Andrew Ali Aga Khan Embiricos. Yasmin often brought Andrew to visit Hayworth, hoping those moments would offer some comfort despite the progression of her illness.
After Hayworth passed away on May 14, 1987, Yasmin continued to lead Alzheimer’s advocacy efforts. That same year, she divorced Embiricos and later married real estate developer Christopher Michael Jeffries in a quiet ceremony. The marriage ended in divorce in 1993.
In 2011, Yasmin experienced another devastating loss when her son Andrew was found dead in his Manhattan apartment at the age of 25. Like his mother, Andrew had also been involved in Alzheimer’s research and awareness.
Despite the heartbreaks, Yasmin’s work has not gone unnoticed. She was awarded the Alzheimer’s Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, and in 2022, the French government named her a Knight of the Legion of Honor, the country’s highest order of merit.
