5 minute readrundown
Spanish actress Esther Exposito first rose to fame on Netflix’s Elite. Since then, she has become well known in the fields of fashion, beauty, and film. Also, the actress gave rise to rumors of dating French footballer Kylian Mbappé.
Esther Exposito has been one of Spain’s biggest breakout stars since Netflix’s Elite became an international phenomenon. Since then, the actress has built a career that spans television, film and luxury fashion campaigns, and has amassed millions of followers on social media.
More recently, Expósito has made headlines for a different reason. There are rumors of a romance with French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. Although neither man has publicly acknowledged their relationship, the two have been photographed together on several occasions and have been in the spotlight as Mbappe competes in the FIFA World Cup.
Here’s everything you need to know about the actress behind the headlines.
She is from Madrid, Spain.
Exposito was born on January 26, 2000 in Madrid.
She discovered acting at an early age and began appearing in theater productions as a teenager, before making some early television appearances, including appearances in the Spanish series “Vis a Vis” and “Centro Médico.”
Speaking with Oprah Daily in 2020, Exposito reflected on how quickly her career changed after finding success in movies.
“In two years, Elite has completely changed my life,” she said. “I had already been in two movies and been in other shows, but the success of this show obviously changed the front and back of my career, and now people all over the world know me.”
Elite made her an international star.
Exposito was already acting professionally, but she got her break in 2018 when she was cast as Carla Rozón in Netflix’s Spanish teen drama Elite.
The series became one of Netflix’s biggest global hits and introduced the actress to audiences around the world. Expósito appeared throughout the first three seasons of the show before leaving to pursue other projects.
Looking back on the role, she told Oprah Daily, “I will always be grateful for what Carla taught me.”
She also told Numero in 2023 that she believes the show’s willingness to explore complex characters helped it resonate with viewers.
“I think this series is now embedded in a generation that remembers it as a series from their teenage years,” she said. “Young people can identify with all of the contrasting emotions that the characters feel.”
She continues to build her career as an actress.
Since leaving Elite, Exposito has steadily expanded his career with both television and film projects.
She has appeared in series such as Someone Has to Die, Veneno, and Bandidos, as well as films such as Venus and Lost in the Night.
Her achievements were recognized at the 2026 Monte Carlo Television Festival, where she was awarded the International Golden Nymph Award for the most promising talent.
Her next project is Drawn Together, an adaptation of Mercedes Ron’s novel Marfil, on Amazon Prime Video. The streamer announced that the film will premiere on September 9, 2026.
In 2025, she told Vogue Mexico that becoming an actress had been her dream since she could remember.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to be an actress. I don’t know why because no one in my family is an actress, but I was born with that desire.”
Fashion has been a major part of her career.
Beyond acting, Exposito has established himself in the world of fashion and beauty.
She has worked with brands such as Desigual, Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, Dolce & Gabbana, Marine Serre, and Bulgari.
In a 2025 interview with Vogue Mexico, Exposito described fashion as “a very powerful and beautiful tool for artistic expression.”
“I want it to be something that I enjoy and experiment with and not get too obsessed with, but just something that brings me fun and opportunity,” she said.
She has millions of followers on Instagram.
Expósito’s reach extends far beyond television.
She has over 24 million followers on Instagram, where she shares behind-the-scenes looks from movie sets, fashion campaigns, travel, personal projects, and more.
Despite her huge online audience, she tries to keep social media in perspective.
“I consider Instagram to be what it is. It’s just a part of myself that’s not meant to be more than what it is,” she told Numero in 2023. “Instagram is a tool that allows me to share my latest projects and some moments from my life without losing sight of the fact that it’s not real.”
She added that while she is grateful to be able to connect with her fans, she tries to stay off social media as much as possible.
“Personally, I try to hang up or put down my phone from time to time, even if my work schedule doesn’t allow me to do it as often as I would like,” she said.
She and Kylian Mbappé sparked dating rumors in 2026.
Exposito recently started sparking rumors of a relationship with French soccer player Kylian Mbappé.
Neither Exposito nor Mbappé have publicly acknowledged their relationship. Still, the two have been photographed together several times this year, fueling speculation about their relationship.
They were spotted spending the night together in Paris in April, where they were photographed at dinner before heading to a bowling alley.
A few weeks later, the pair were seen holidaying together in Sardinia while Mbappé recovered from a hamstring injury.
In June, the pair were also photographed in Ibiza before the start of the FIFA World Cup.
Despite the increased attention, neither has spoken publicly about the nature of their relationship.
She reflects on surviving fame.
As Exposito’s career grew, she spoke candidly about adjusting to life in the public eye.
During the 2026 Monte Carlo Television Festival, she admitted that the attention surrounding her personal life has become part of her professional life.
“Ever since I became an elite, it’s been the same every time something happened in my personal life,” she told Le Parisien. “I don’t want it to affect my career.”
She also reflected on growing up in the spotlight in a 2025 interview with Vogue Mexico, saying, “The transition from girl to woman was a very intense moment in my life, because it was a very sensitive period where you felt everything very intensely and didn’t know who you were yet.”
Exposito was asked about rumors of a relationship with Mbappe. “I’m not going to say anything, but I’m doing very well,” she told Europa News Agency in March, avoiding revealing their situation.
She is the first to admit that she is still learning about soccer.
Exposito recently became involved with one of the world’s biggest soccer stars, but admits the sport is still fairly new to her.
“I don’t know anything about soccer,” she told Le Parisien. “I’ve only been to the stadium a few times in my life. No one at home watched the games on TV. Spain is a great soccer country… but I don’t have that culture.
“This is the world I’m discovering,” she added. “That’s when I started getting interested.”
She hopes to continue challenging herself as an actress.
Although Expósito has become internationally known through Élite, he has repeatedly stated that he does not want to be confined to any one category.
“I don’t want to be known for just one genre. I want to explore all possibilities,” she told Numero in 2023. “The more the better!”
She has also expressed interest in working in more languages as her career continues to grow.
“I hope to continue to support Spanish industry,” she told the magazine. “I also want to discover new cultures and work in other languages, such as English.”
Back in 2020, she shared a similar goal with Oprah Daly.
“I really want to get back into film,” she said. “I’d like to do comedy as well, because I’ve never done comedy in a TV show or in a movie. I’d also like to get back into theater, but one thing at a time!”
