Supermodel Linda Evangelista has finally shared photos of herself following botched cosmetic surgery over five years ago.
“I loved being up on the catwalk,” the 56-year-old model told People magazine in a piece published Wednesday. “Now I dread running into someone I know. I can’t live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. I just couldn’t live in this pain any longer. I’m willing to finally speak.”
In 2021, the legendary model explained in a lengthy Instagram post that she had underwent a body-conturing treatment called CoolSculpting, which left her “brutally” disfigured. In response, she’s spent her life in hiding ever since.
She explained to People that after three months of getting the treatment she noticed bulges on her thighs, chin and bra area. (SLIDESHOW: 142 Times Josephine Skriver Stunned Fans On Instagram)
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“I tried to fix it myself, thinking I was doing something wrong,” Evangelista told the magazine, noting that she started exercising more and dieting thinking it would help. “I got to where I wasn’t eating at all. I thought I was losing my mind.”
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Evangelista said that in June 2016 she finally went to a doctor and told the physician she hadn’t eaten and was starving. (SLIDESHOW: These Are The Most Head-Turning Models On Instagram)
The model said he diagnosed her with Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH) and explained that no amount of dieting or exercise would going to fix it. PAH is a rare side effect of CoolSculpting, affecting less than one percent of patients, People magazine noted.
“The procedure has been well studied with more than 100 scientific publications and more than 11 million treatments performed worldwide” and added that known rare side effects like PAH “continue to be well-documented in the CoolSculpting information for patients and health care providers,” the company said in a statement to People.
Evangelista, who graced covers of magazines and catwalks alongside supermodels like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington, said she had two full-body liposuction surgeries to try and fix the problem, but they didn’t help.
“The bulges are protrusions,” the model shared. “And they’re hard. If I walk without a girdle in a dress, I will have chafing to the point of almost bleeding. Because it’s not like soft fat rubbing, it’s like hard fat rubbing.”
“I don’t look in the mirror,” she added. “It doesn’t look like me.”
Evangelista said she’s now sharing her story in hopes that it helps others in similar situations.
“I hope I can shed myself of some of the shame and help other people who are in the same situation as me,” the supermodel said. “That’s my goal.”