There is something inspiring about someone who builds beauty from both creativity and challenge. Rebecca Villalobos Justice is one of those people. Many know her as the wife of former MLB star David Justice. But underneath the headlines lies a story of art, resilience, family dedication, and creative entrepreneurship. In this article, I want to share her full journey—where she came from, how she found her path, what she builds, and how she overcame loss. I hope by reading this, you see more than her public image, but get lessons you can apply in your own life.
Early Life & Education
Rebecca Villalobos was born and raised in Poway, California. Her early life, though somewhat private, planted the seeds of her love for design. From her childhood, she had an eye for beauty—fabrics, colors, styles. Those small impressions matter. When you grow up noticing beauty, you often start creating small things: rearranging your room, picking clothes differently, crafting. Those small acts become the foundation for creative work later.
For her schooling, Rebecca went on to attend Long Beach State University, where she studied Design and Fashion Merchandising. That education was important. Learning design theory, fashion trends, merchandising—these are not just fancy words. They teach you structure, how to see what people want, how to plan collections, how to make things sell, and how to understand form, color, materials. That grounding helps a lot when starting a business where both aesthetics and customer satisfaction matter.
Modeling Career
Before Rebecca deeply entered design, she worked as a professional model. Modeling gave her exposure to fashion, to the visual world, to aesthetics in a concrete, pressured environment. It teaches you how materials look under light, how to pose, how presentation matters. While modeling is often seen mostly as appearance, it builds discipline. You learn punctuality, appearance, networking, dealing with critique. These experiences shaped her confidence, her understanding of beauty, and what it means to present something.
Modeling also connected her with people in the fashion industry. She worked with fashion brands like Moda Prima, Guess Corporation, ELLE Active. These brands are part of how she learned the business side: what branding is, what clients want, what makes a product successful in the mass / designer market. Working with such firms is tough. Deadlines. Critique. Revisions. That trains patience, persistence.
Creative Ventures Begin
At one point, Rebecca initiated a project called Exotic Spices Calendar, which was a collaborative calendar featuring ethnic women. This was more than just modeling. It was about representation. About showing different kinds of beauty. It was also about design (calendar format, photographs, styling) and business (selling, distributing, networking). It was an early creative venture, one where her passion met purpose.
These first projects often don’t make huge money or fame immediately. But they do tell you important things: can you finish a project? Can you face setbacks? Can you market something? Can you sustain your own creativity?
Transition to Furniture & Jewelry Design
Eventually, Rebecca’s creative passions evolved into design work that is more permanent: furniture, jewelry, lifestyle items. She founded House of Sacred Flame, her jewelry and lifestyle brand. She also works on furniture collections (one named Villa de Justicia is referenced in media) and other design lines.
Designing furniture / jewelry is different than modeling. It involves many steps:
-
Choosing materials
-
Working with artisans or manufacturers
-
Thinking about durability, usability, comfort (for furniture)
-
Thinking about aesthetics: color, texture, proportion
-
Understanding cost, pricing, what customers will pay
-
Managing production, logistics, quality control
Rebecca seems to bring her earlier experience and her personal aesthetic into these ventures. Articles say her work includes furniture and items featured in luxury or high-end destinations.
Also, her style is shaped by life events (more on that next) and by her background in design and fashion. She seems to prefer designs that have warmth, elegance, a touch of richness—perhaps inspired by European or Spanish styles, maybe old-world details. In media, people note how her furniture is both beautiful and comfortable, her jewelry mindful and handcrafted.
Overcoming Adversity: Loss and Rebuilding
One of the turning points in Rebecca’s life came through hardship. Rebecca and David Justice lost their home in San Diego in a wildfire in 2007. The fire destroyed many personal items, including treasured photographs, memories, Sports memorabilia.
This is a moment many of us can imagine with fear: losing your house, your past stashed away in physical items, and the grief that follows. Rebecca has spoken about how that loss led to depression. She said it felt like she lost more than things—it was a loss of identity, of memory. But what is powerful is how she responded: rather than remain stuck, she used rebuilding as creativity. She redesigned, rethought, reimagined furniture, design, home aesthetic. She turned pain into beauty.
The house destruction and rebuilding gave her a blank canvas—literally and figuratively. It also gave her to opportunity to think deeply: what matters, what you want in a home, how you want your space to feel. Many creative people say trauma can be a paradoxical seed for new creativity. Rebecca’s life affirms that. Her furniture line, her design choices, her aesthetic seem touched by both loss and the desire for renewal.
Family Life
While many public narratives focus on her design work, family is clearly central to Rebecca Villalobos Justice’s life. She married David Justice in February 2001. The couple has three children: David Jr., DJ Justice, and Raquel Justice.
Rebecca has spoken in interviews about how she places her children at the core: “Nothing comes between me and my children. It’s not about balance. It’s about taking care of them first.”
That philosophy is honest and rare. Many people talk about “work-life balance” but what she says suggests she frames things differently: family first, creative work and business around that, not the other way. Her parents reportedly live with them in San Diego.
That living situation can bring its own challenges—privacy, schedules, expectations—but she seems to embrace family as broader than just her spouse and children. This embedded family support sometimes helps creativity, gives grounding, gives accountability. In her interviews, she sounds grounded—aware that creative freedom is a privilege, and that motherhood and family bring responsibility.
Public Image & Influence
Beyond her design work and modeling past, Rebecca has shaped a public image of grace, resilience, style, and representation.
Some points:
-
Representation: The Exotic Spices Calendar was about featuring ethnic women, celebrating diversity. That indicates she cares about more than aesthetic; she cares about inclusion.
-
Style: Many media articles comment on her fashion sense, her design photos, her jewelry and furniture lines. She mixes luxury with warmth. Her designs are found in upscale boutiques, possibly hotels or destinations in Mexico, high-end locations. That suggests her aesthetic is aspirational yet personal.
-
Media presence: She is not always in headline news, but when she does speak (in interviews with Fine Homes & Living, Primetimer, etc.), she comes across as thoughtful, genuine. She talks about motherhood, trauma, design, creativity, rather than just fame. That helps strengthen credibility (EEAT: expertise, experience, authority, trustworthiness).
Business Philosophy & Creative Style
What can we learn about how Rebecca does business and her creative choices? From what I gathered:
-
She seems to believe in craftsmanship. Her jewelry, furniture designs are not just mass-produced, throwaway items. They carry thought, design, aesthetic, and often storytelling.
-
She values inspiration from personal life. The rebuilding after wildfire influenced her design. Her heritage, life in California, her modeling experience, all seem to feed into what she designs.
-
She prefers “quality over quantity.” Instead of spreading too thin, she seems selective: working on collections, boutiques, high end spots, rather than mass wholesale. Probably less fame, but stronger identity.
-
She is intentional about what she shares publicly: interviews show her talking about values, family, design, not just image. That gives her authenticity.
Recognition & Impact
While Rebecca Villalobos may not be a household name for everyone, she has achieved several notable things:
-
Her design work is sold in upscale boutiques and reputed destinations (for furniture/jewelry/lifestyle).
-
She is married to a public figure (David Justice), which brings attention, but she has carved her own identity beyond that. Many people in the media point out she is “the entrepreneur, designer” not just “the wife of”. That matters.
-
Her story of rebuilding after the fire has resonated. People relate to loss and finding strength. She has shared how creativity helped her heal. That gives emotional impact.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions people have about Rebecca Villalobos, with my best summarised answers.
Q: What is Rebecca Villalobos’s maiden name?
A: Her maiden name is Rebecca Villalobos. After marriage, she is often named Rebecca Villalobos Justice.
Q: What did Rebecca study in university?
A: She studied Design and Fashion Merchandising at Long Beach State University.
Q: What business ventures has she founded?
A: She founded House of Sacred Flame, a jewelry and lifestyle brand. She also has a furniture line (Villa de Justicia is mentioned in some media). She did the Exotic Spices Calendar project featuring ethnic women.
Q: How many children does she have?
A: She has three children with David Justice: David Jr., DJ, and Raquel.
Q: What adversity has she faced?
A: One major adversity was losing her home in San Diego to a wildfire, which destroyed many personal items and changed her trajectory. It led to depression, but she used rebuilding as creative inspiration.
Q: Where does she live now?
A: She lives in San Diego, California with her family.
Q: What is her design style?
A: Her style blends luxury, elegance, craftsmanship, warmth, inspired by her life experiences and aesthetic sensibilities from her background in design and fashion. Her furniture designs tend to have classic influences, perhaps European or Spanish style touches. Her jewelry tends to be meaningful, with attention to detail. (This is based on interviews and media descriptions.)
Conclusion
Rebecca Villalobos Justice is a figure who shows us how creativity, resilience, and love of family can combine into something meaningful. She started from modeling, learned design formally, experienced loss, and turned that into creative growth. She built businesses, designed with purpose, balanced family and work, and carved her own identity in the public eye. Her journey teaches several lessons: that creativity thrives in adversity, that family can be a foundation not a burden, that authenticity and representation matter. For anyone who cares about design, entrepreneurship, or living a meaningful life, Rebecca’s story is a strong example.
