María Dolores de Cospedal, who served as the secretary general of the Partido Popular for ten years, has largely led a private life since 2018. After ending her political career, she returned to practicing law, avoiding publicity and the media. However, this summer her name reappeared in society columns due to rumors of a possible romance with well-known businessman Fernando Portillo, the former husband of Sandra Domecq. This news emerged less than a year after Cospedal’s separation from her husband Ignacio López del Hierro, which came as a surprise to many.
The former politician decided to clarify the situation during her visit to the Starlite music festival in Marbella, where she attended a concert by India Martínez together with her son Ricardo and friends. In an informal conversation with journalists, Cospedal denied speculations about her personal life. She stressed that she feels great and is enjoying her summer holidays with her family, spending time with her son and mother in Guadalmina — a prestigious urbanization in Marbella, also home to José María Aznar and Ana Botella.
When directly asked about the photographs showing her with Fernando Portillo on a yacht in Sotogrande, Cospedal gave a categorical response. She stated that she is not in a romantic relationship and that her main priority is caring for her son. With a smile, she tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, noting that her home is actually in Guadalmina, not Sotogrande, thereby hinting at the baselessness of the rumors. According to the former defense minister, the only man in her life right now is her son Ricardo, who recently turned 19. She proudly called him her role model in everything, adding that although he is now an adult, for a mother, he will always be her child.
María Dolores de Cospedal and businessman Ignacio López del Hierro married in 2009, when she was one of the key figures in her party. For both, it was not their first marriage. At the end of October last year, it became known that the couple decided to separate after fifteen years together. At the time, the former right hand of Mariano Rajoy explained the split as domestic differences. Prior to this, Cospedal had been married to aristocrat José Félix Valdivieso-González, with their marriage annulled by the church in 1998.
Despite firm denials from Cospedal herself, rumors about her close friendship with Portillo persist. The media continues to report on their joint appearances, including at the famous Feria de Abril in Seville, and later in Marbella and Sotogrande, fueling public interest in the personal life of one of the most influential women in recent Spanish politics.
