Helle Meri (born on 14 March 1949), widow of Lennart Meri, is an Estonian actress who also served as the First Lady of Estonia from 1992 to 2001.Helle Meri (née Pihlak) was born in the small town of Rapla where she also went to school. In her spare time she actively participated in different sports and played basketball. After secondary school, she went on to study at the Stage School of Tallinn Conservatory.