Linda Evangelista has landed her first magazine cover since undergoing a cosmetic procedure she says left her “brutally disfigured”.
The iconic supermodel recently settled a lawsuit with Zeltiq CoolSculpting after a fat-freezing cosmetic treatment led to her developing paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), a rare adverse effect of the procedure in which fatty tissue grows instead of shrinking.
On Thursday, Linda was unveiled as the latest cover star for British Vogue, telling the magazine that after five years in “hiding”, she felt she “couldn’t live in pain any longer”.
“I knew I had to make a change, and the only change was to tell my truth,” she explained, of her decision to speak out about her condition.
In her tearful accompanying interview, Linda told the magazine: “If I had known side effects may include losing your livelihood and you’ll end up so depressed that you hate yourself… I wouldn’t have taken that risk.”
To counter the side effects of her procedure, the 57-year-old revealed she has undergone liposuction and tried extreme diets, but nothing has had the desired result.
Linda said: “I have incisions all over my body. I have had stitches, I have worn compression garments under my chin, I’ve had my entire body tightly girdled for eight weeks – nothing helped… I was losing my mind.”
British Vogue reported that Linda is still struggling with her self-image, can no longer look in the mirror or have have anyone touch her body.
The Canadian star insisted: “Am I cured mentally? Absolutely not. But I’m so grateful for the support I got from my friends and from my industry.
“I miss my work so much, but honestly, what can I do? It isn’t going to be easy. You’re not going to see me in a swimsuit, that’s for sure. It’s going to be difficult to find jobs with things protruding from me; without retouching, or squeezing into things, or taping things or compressing or tricking…”
She has also been candid about the fact that for her Vogue photo-shoot, “tape and elastics” were used on her face, jaw and neck.
“That’s not my jaw and neck in real life – and I can’t walk around with tape and elastics everywhere,” she added.
“You know what, I’m trying to love myself as I am, but for the photos… Look, for photos I always think we’re here to create fantasies. We’re creating dreams. I think it’s allowed.
“Also, all my insecurities are taken care of in these pictures, so I got to do what I love to do.”
After settling her legal case last month, Linda said: “I’m pleased to have settled the CoolSculpting case. I look forward to the next chapter of my life with my friends and family, and am happy to put this matter behind me.
“I am truly grateful for the support I have received from those who have reached out.”
This came days after unveiling her first fashion campaign since going public about her condition with the fashion brand Fendi, posing for a photo-shoot surrounded by multiple handbags and luxury baseball caps.
Read Linda’s full interview in the September issue of British Vogue.