Attention to the Andalusian matador José Antonio Morante Camacho intensified again after he unexpectedly announced his retirement. This took place during the Día de la Hispanidad corrida at Madrid’s Las Ventas arena. Since then, discussions about his personal life have not ceased. The spotlight has focused not only on his serious mental health issues, which repeatedly forced him to leave the arena, but also on the tremendous support he received from his family during the most difficult times. His current wife, Elizabeth Garrido, has said that the family is entirely focused on his recovery and dreams of seeing his smile return.
However, before meeting Elizabeth, the mother of his two youngest daughters, there was another important woman in the torero’s life—Cynthia Antúnez. Their relationship was long-lasting and private, and in 2005, the couple married in Morante’s hometown. Cynthia became his pillar of support during his first struggles with dissociative disorder, which caused him to cry without reason and led to his first departure from the arena.
While Morante’s second marriage was a private affair, his first wedding was a major event in the world of bullfighting. The celebration with Cynthia Antúnez took place on October 23, 2005. The entire town of Puebla del Río came out into the streets to congratulate the newlyweds, despite the pouring rain. The ceremony was held in the local church, followed by a reception in a 17th-century country estate attended by 400 guests, including the elite of Spanish bullfighting. Among those present were stars such as Enrique Ponce with Paloma Cuevas, Espartaco with Patricia Rato, and Finito de Córdoba with Arancha del Sol.
Two years after the wedding, in 2007, Cynthia and Morante became parents to a son, José Antonio Jr. Interestingly, the young man did not follow in his father’s footsteps but chose a career as a footballer at Betis. After his father’s retirement from the sport, he publicly expressed his support and admiration, calling him the most important person in his life.
Unfortunately, their family life did not work out. At the end of 2008, the couple announced their decision to separate. They chose not to disclose the reasons for the divorce, leaving the public to speculate whether it was due to the torero’s medical issues or personal differences. What is known is that the breakup took a heavy emotional toll on the matador. Nevertheless, Morante found the strength to overcome this crisis for the sake of his son. Since then, the former spouses have maintained a friendly relationship and occasionally appear together at family events, such as their child’s First Communion.
