Fast confession – Šárka Grossová: Everything for her daughters! We’ll see how things go with the new love...
A long time ago, she married politician Stanislav Gross, who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and died unexpectedly 2.5 years ago. Since then, his widow Šárka Grossová has been under the scrutiny of the media, despite the fact that she is an ordinary mother of two daughters, who she is entirely devoted to. She says she has nothing else, but in the interview for Luxury Prague Life, she did admit that she has much more than just two daughters. In addition to a new relationship, also the desire to start a business …
How did you enjoy the holidays?
Up until the very last day, because we only returned on the Friday before school started.
Where did you go?
Like every year, to Florida where we have a little apartment, then Italy and a few days in Czechia.
Do you rent out the apartment in Florida during the year, when you’re not there?
It depends. If we manage, then yes, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. It’s more complicated there.
Last year you filmed a video for Natalie’s song in Florida. What did you do this year?
We didn’t film anything this year (laughs). This year we just had fun.
What is the difference between Czech and American life?
It’s not that different, but over there we drop all the stress from Natalie’s theatre work, her voice gets a break. I usually have some friends over, they take turns. We are never there alone, there are always five or six of us, and it’s fun. They are usually Czechs who come to visit or live there. Sometimes it almost feels like Bibione, because there are so many of us there.
Do you cook there or go out to restaurants?
It’s true that I don’t have to think about as many concerns there as I do here, but I usually cook. Not every day and not every meal, but I do cook.
What do you cook? You can’t just make dumplings like that…
I have no problem bringing them over and making them. I also make potatoes. I cook Czech meals like goulash, paprika chicken and so on… no problem.
That leads me straight to the question of whether you’d like to open a Czech pub there?
We’ve thought about it, true, but doing business in America… we think the bureaucracy is bad here in Czechia, but in America it’s ten times worse.
But you did have a business before, didn’t you? Would you like to try it again?
I am slowly returning to the Amway business, because I discovered that it’s the cleanest sort of business there is and I have a lot of friends and people who kept me above water, still do. I am not thinking of anything else.
What does that mean?
We are teaching people to shop online. We are teaching them something they already know, but we are telling them where to shop. That’s all. People look for something negative about it, but we are merely selling the idea of online shopping. If people subsequently advertise or recruit other people, then they get back a percentage from their spending.
Can money be made from this?
Of course it can… It takes a while to get started, but when I did it actively, I had a very decent income.
But when it’s not vacation time, you are fully devoted to Natalie. Tell me what your average day is like.
A school day? In the morning I drive her to school and then come home through the awful traffic, or run some errands in town. After lunch I drive back to school to pick Natalie up, driver her across all of Prague to attend a casting, and then drive her home, where we do homework, and then I drive her to Goya, where she has rehearsals. This was the first day of school. Then theatre rehearsals start, and so on.
How many kilometres do you drive per week?
I have no idea, but I’m sure I drive about a hundred a day.
What about Denisa? She is all grown up…
I don’t have to take care of her that much anymore. She is very independent, she has her own car so she drives herself around. She will be leaving us soon too, but she’s moving to a place very nearby, so I think she will be with us anyway. But she is living her own life now, moving in with her boyfriend.
How do you feel about that as a mother?
Probably like every mother. On one hand I know it’s good, that one shouldn’t keep the children at home. They have to gain their own experiences, that have a lot of things to learn that they would not learn at home, because at home the path is laid out and everything is served on a silver platter. On the other hand, it makes us sad. And Natalie is really unhappy. She talks about it every day, and is really distressed.
Have you already given Denisa the usual motherly advice for life, how to manage a household?
I don’t know if you experienced it, but I remember the time when there were those little memos, where you had to draw the other person a picture… my teacher didn’t draw me a picture (that upset me back in first grade), but instead she wrote: The best way to get rid of your children is to give them endless advice. Only years later did I realise that they really don’t want the advice. They have to learn things for themselves. If they ask, then I will be happy to help, but if not, I prefer to remain quiet.
And how do you see her first love? It’s been quite a while now.
It’s her first love, so we will see. So far it’s working, they get along because they have the same job. Photography. Denisa always wanted to do photography and she found a photographer. It’s probably a good match. They have similar interests, so maybe it will last. He’s a nice guy. He’s also nine years older than her. He’s fine.
What about Natalie and love? She’s growing into a beautiful girl, she’s turning fifteen and she’s famous.
I don’t think she’s famous. She still has a lot of work ahead. For now, she still takes boys as friends. No love yet. She is attending the conservatory now and asked me if I think she will find somebody there, so I answered that I hope not! (laughs) I’ve explained to her that it’s not entirely practical to look for somebody now, considering what she does. She has a lot of friends, and for now doesn’t make any difference between male and female friends.
How do you experience her successes, failures? For instance when you wait at castings to find out if she got the role or not?
Well, she hasn’t got that many yet. For instance the Přístav series – it was our 54th casting. Everybody thinks we get roles in a snap, but this was actually the first role in television that she got. Theatres invite us to castings, which she has to go through, but at least then invite us, which is nice.
Is there a role in television that she’d be interested in?
Quite a few! There was a casting for a fairy tale recently, but she didn’t get the part. She really enjoyed Přístav, so we’re hoping Přístav comes back. For now she has a small part in the film Pepa, which is in preparation. It’s directed by Honza Novák, who worked on Přístav.
She played a brat there, didn’t she?
An absolutely perfect brat. On one had she was unhappy about it, because she was afraid people would think she’s really a brat, but on the other hand she was liked the fact that it’s great to act the role of a spoiled brat.
Did she try it at home?
No, she didn’t. She’s a good girl, luckily. I’m glad the filmmakers are happy with her. They like working with her.
How about money?
She has her own account and card and she knows how much money she has. Naturally, I make sure she doesn’t spend it all. We talk about money a lot, so that she understands its value. She normally pays taxes, social security and health insurance every year. It makes no difference that she’s a child. She has to.
It’s great that this generation has some level of financial literacy.
Yes, I agree. It used to be awful. Young people today have an advantage. Natalie buys a lot of things herself, to understand how much things cost.
Does she like buying gifts?
I think she spends the most money on gifts. She is the generous type and loves giving them. She left Miami and half her suitcase was full of gifts for friends. She even forgot to buy something for herself. She puts herself last, but I’m not sure that is the best thing either.
Let’s return to you. When you’re not doing Amway or taxiing Natalie around, not sitting in the theatre… what do enjoy doing, what would you like to do?
Perhaps what I would like to do… I generally don’t really have much time. I would like to fit the business into it all again, and I have to start exercising again. Like every year, summer has left its mark on my. I gained six kilos.
I can’t imagine where, but fine. What sport would you like to do?
I only go to the gym. I don’t do any sports. I used to have a personal trainer, so I know what to do on the machines, or on the treadmill… I have one at home. Sometimes I walk while watching television, but it’s awful. It’s not that bad while watching television though, for instance when The Mentalist is on. I like that show.
What else do you like watching on television?
We don’t watch it very much. We’re usually not home in the evenings, but at the theatre. What’s more, Natalie has to watch everything in English. If she ever wants to perform abroad, she has to speak it perfectly. I keep repeating that to her. We don’t have any other option of employment. Natalie simply wants to earn a living with singing, acting. I’ve told her countless times that she should maybe get into business or something, but she always replies okay, that she will do Amway like I do and sing as well. She is different from Denisa, who has to have everything perfectly organised and know precisely when, where, what. Natalie is very free-minded. Denisa is like Standa, in every say. She loves history, literature. She knows little details that I’ve never even heard of. When she talks about things like this at home, I always tell myself that I don’t have to miss her father, because he’s still here.
You hinted at this topic, which I would have arrived at myself. It’s been 2.5 years. What has changed?
It’s… still hard, I can’t say it isn’t. Most of all, I have to take care of everything myself, I’m entirely alone, even for the girls. In this regard it is very difficult. Of course we still talk about him, we talk about him all the time. The girls still think about him. I don’t know what else to say.
What about you and love? Before the summer holidays, there were reports in the media that you have a new boyfriend, Jiří. Is this true?
I don’t really want to talk about it. Yes, he is my new boyfriend. So far, he has his own flat and I have mine. We exercise together, go on trips or on vacation. We’ll see what happens.
From a woman’s perspective it’s nice. Somebody to embrace you, support you.
Definitely, all of this is essential, and I’m getting it now. I am very grateful for it. But where it will go next, I don’t know. There is time for everything.
Is there anything that still weighs you down, that you would like to resolve, get closure on?
I still have to resolve some of the financial problems. The inheritance has finally been concluded, so now I have a pile of paperwork that I have to sort out and arrange. I want to get rid of it already.
I don’t understand why it took so long to sort out the inheritance?
They told us it’s perfectly normal.
What did you live off of?
Well then naturally advanced me something, but it was long and hard. My friends kept me above water, and my colleagues also helped. But I can’t imagine what it would be like if one didn’t have friends like this around. We sold the cottage where I grew up as a child in order to cope.
Did the girls perceive this?
A bit, but I didn’t want them to be even more stressed out. Naturally they did feel it and they still do, although we are not as poorly off as before.
Has everything you experienced with your husband changed your attitude towards charity? Do you give more?
We were always involved in charity at home. We have five children through long-distance adoption and pay for their education. Actually, one of them is quite a young lady and she’s studying medicine. Natalie never refuses to sing at a charity concert, if time permits. And it’s not because of the illness, we used to do it with Standa too.
Šárka, let’s talk about something nice to conclude. After all, you are a woman, a beautiful woman. What about shopping, what do you like?
As for clothing, I feel best in jeans and sneakers. I like shopping when I am a bit depressed, when I’m in a grumpy mood and don’t know what to do, so I go and buy something. It naturally makes me happy and my bad mood falls away. Then I come home and try it on. I enjoy this. I have been depressed a lot lately, so my closets are bursting! (laughs) Naturally, I go through the closets every now and again and give the things I don’t wear to charity. The girls do it too.
What about massages, cosmetics, hairdressers?
I don’t have time for cosmetics and massages, but the hairdresser and nail stylist come to my home. Then some six women gather at my place and we chat in the meantime. A ladies’ afternoon. I like that. You should come someday, it’s fun.
