[3] Her parents are Godofredo Baldazo Zimmerman from Hilongos, Leyte and Purisima Fortunado Abellana from Tuburan, Cebu.

[5] Rodrigo Duterte and the Zimmerman family's oral history claim that she is of patrilineal Jewish descent,[6][7] with her father having fled to the Philippines from Nazi Germany.

[2][10] Zimmerman was married to Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte (who later became the President of the Philippines) for over 25 years.

She filed for a civil annulment in 1998, and for a few months, lived with her brother in Metro Manila, occasionally visiting Davao City since her children were still studying there.

“Because God gave me a second chance in life," she said in an interview, "I should advocate for this very noble cause, to become a source of awareness, support and hope to others who are suffering the same as I did.”[12]