Interesting Facts About Behati Prinsloo
In September 2022, Victoria's Secret model Behati Prinsloo announced she is expecting her third child with Adam Levine. Days later, a less happy story surfaced about her family: Word got out that Adam Levine allegedly sent inappropriate messages to multiple women on social media. The drama began when model Sumner Stroh claimed on TikTok that she had an affair with the "This Love" singer. Levine denied the affair part, but he admitted to flirting with other women over DM.
People reported that Prinsloo is "100 percent committed to her family." Understandably, Levine's drama has reportedly been tough on Prinsloo, but the power couple appears to be a united front, with a source telling ET that Levine and Prinsloo are ready to put it all behind them.
Of course, there is way more to Prinsloo's story than her husband's messy DM scandal. Read on to learn some rather interesting facts about the accomplished model.
Behati Prinsloo grew up in Namibia
On May 16, 1988, Behati Prinsloo was born in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. When she was a toddler, her family relocated to Grootfontein, Namibia. In a behind-the-scenes video for Victoria's Secret, she said of her home continent, "My family has been there for generations and generations. I'm African, and no one believes it."
On a 2015 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Adam Levine noted that he and his wife had markedly different childhood experiences. For starters, Prinsloo literally was once tasked with getting on a horse and rounding up giraffes. Not exactly something you'd get to do while growing up in Los Angeles. "Who does that when they are a kid? Herds giraffes? It's so crazy to me!" Levine exclaimed.
While living in Namibia, Prinsloo saw a lot of wildlife, and she cherishes those moments. Chatting with Mashable, she described a memory from her childhood that sounds like something out of a dream: "My parents and I would sit for hours at the waterholes in Etosha and watch springbok, gemsbok, giraffe and elephants come and go. The elephants would arrive looking like big grey boulders and leave covered in white mud and then disappear into the bush. It was magical."
She was discovered by accident
While many models have to jump through hoops to get even one foot in the door, that wasn't quite the case for Behati Prinsloo, who was discovered at 16 on a whim. The model recalled in an interview for Victoria's Secret that she was grocery shopping with her grandparents in Cape Town when a photographer approached her. From there, Prinsloo's life changed forever. However, her father, Namibian pastor Boet Prinsloo, had a few reservations about a modeling career for his only child.
He shared with Informanté, "She had no prior modeling experience. Still in school and being a pastor's daughter, it was the least of careers that I expected my daughter to pursue. There is nothing we could do. The only thing that I and my wife could do was pray for her and be happy for her."
Prinsloo worked as a model in Cape Town for a few months before traveling to London. She made her debut as a runway model for fashion houses like Prada, Miu Miu, and Calvin Klein and did photo shoots for Vogue Italia in 2005 and Vogue China in 2006. By 19, Prinsloo had walked for dozens of designers and was also featured in ad campaigns for H&M, Chanel, and Hugo Boss, among others.
Victoria's Secret was her big break
Before Behati Prinsloo walked the catwalks for Victoria's Secret in large wings and bedazzled lingerie, the model was brought on to represent PINK. In 2007, Prinsloo became a model for PINK, the company's brand that's geared toward a younger audience. Like Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr, and Elsa Hosk, Prinsloo was a PINK model before earning her coveted wings, per Fashion Gone Rouge.
Prinsloo's first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show happened in 2007, and she wore a cute and colorful ensemble with comfy sneakers. By 2009, she was an Angel, and in 2015, she was chosen to open the show. Since her start with the lingerie giant, Prinsloo had walked in every Victoria's Secret Fashion Show until 2015, when she took a hiatus to welcome her two daughters with Maroon 5 rocker Adam Levine. Per People, after she made her comeback in 2018, she shared on Instagram Stories, "After two babies back to back, doing the @victoriassecret show felt like a distant dream haha. I'm so proud to be back and proud of my body and what it can do, feeling stronger and healthier than ever with two beautiful baby girls."
The final Victoria's Secret Fashion Show's took place in 2018. According to CNBC, the lingerie company split with its partner L Brand in 2021, with its Chief Executive Martin Waters stating that Victoria's Secret, which was renamed Victoria's Secret & Co., was trying to make a comeback.
Her modeling career boomed
Behati Prinsloo's career flourished after she signed with Victoria's Secret. In 2010, the 5'10" model designed a swimwear line for PINK called Behati Loves Pink. Talking to Teen Vogue about the inspiration behind her pieces, Prinsloo shared that she was inspired by her home continent, stating, "Using some African inspired patterns but mixing them with bright colors to keep it young!"
From there, Prinsloo became the brand ambassador for the Australian swimsuit line Seafolly for its summer 2012/2013 collection. And as the Los Angeles Times noted, Prinsloo collaborated with denim label THVM in 2013. In 2019, she worked with another denim label, 7 For All Mankind, where she was chosen for the label's Spring 2019 campaign. In addition, Prinsloo has posed for GQ Mexico, I-D Magazine, and Vogue Spain, among countless others, per Fashion Model Directory.
Prinsloo's latest modeling work includes walking Rihanna's 2021 Savage x Fenty Show, featuring her Victoria's Secret model pals Adriana Lima and Joan Smalls. In February 2022, she covered the issue of Ocean Drive magazine, and in April 2022, she covered Hamptons Magazine, per Models. With such an illustrious career, Prinsloo shared her advice to up-and-coming models with Harper's Bazaar in 2019. "My advice would just be stay true to yourself and be kind, be good to people, treat them as you would want to be treated," she said.
She had a whirlwind romance with Adam Levine
In 2022, Behati Prinsloo's marriage became front page news thanks to Adam Levine's DM drama. However, long before the scandal came to light, the now-married couple had a whirlwind courtship. As the model shared with Net-a-Porter, it began in 2012, when a friend introduced them via email. What started as a correspondence about Prinsloo possibly starring in a Maroon 5 video (she ultimately didn't take the gig) turned into something more. She told the outlet, "It was such a natural correspondence that we kind of fell in love via email."
According to People, Prinsloo and the "Girls Like You" singer made their first public debut as a couple in October 2012 when they attended GQ's Gentleman's Ball. However, they split by May 2013, with a source stating that Levine was dating Victoria's Secret model Nina Agdal. However, it was a quick romance because Prinsloo and Levine were back on and engaged by July. She recalled to Net-a-Porter, "We broke up for two months, realized that it was the worst decision, then got back together, got engaged, and got married. It was a wild ride!"
The couple wed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in July of 2014, with actor Jonah Hill officiating. Although Prinsloo might not have accepted Levine's first offer to be in a Maroon 5 music video in 2012, she was in the band's 2014 video for "Animals," where things got steamy between the love birds.
She changed Adam Levine's outlook on marriage
Before Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine tied the knot 2014, the Maroon 5 singer had something of a reputation. He's reportedly dated several famous women and was previously in a two-year relationship with Victoria's Secret model Anne Vyalitsyna. Per Us Weekly, their relationship is believed to have ended when Levine didn't want to take the next big step, which was putting a ring on it. The singer had openly discussed his love of women to Details magazine in 2012, stating (via E! News), "Maybe the reason I'm so promiscuous, and wanted to sleep with a lot of them, is that I love them so much." He's even admitted to not being the marrying type, telling Cosmopolitan in 2009, "Instinctively, monogamy is not in our genetic makeup."
However, that all seemed to go out the window when he met and wed Prinsloo. "Famous last words, I'll never get married," Levine once joked about on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (via Us Weekly). "I still don't necessarily think you have to get married unless you meet someone that makes you want to marry them. And then you marry them, and it's wonderful," he told the host.
Needless to say, Levine changed his tune in a significant way, and he's sure seemed happy about it. According to E! News, he said the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, "She makes me the best person I can be. She's the best in the world."
Ellen DeGeneres named their first child
On September 21, 2016, the lives of Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo changed forever. On that day, they became first-time parents to a daughter they named Dusty Rose. Two years later, on February 15, 2018, they welcomed their second daughter, Gio Grace.
As far as unique celebrity baby names go, the names Levine and Prinsloo chose for their kids aren't the most out there. The story behind the firstborn's name, however, is about as A-list as it gets: Prinsloo and Levine credit Ellen DeGeneres with naming their eldest. On an episode of DeGeneres' talk show, Prinsloo shared that she was initially not on board with the name the host came up with. Prinsloo shared, "I was like, Dusty? My parents are going to think it's like a piece of dust. They're Afrikaans. English is not their first language. Dusty, no way." The name eventually stuck as her pregnancy was coming along.
Although DeGeneres didn't have a hand in naming their second child, Bustle reported that Gio Grace references nature, with "Gio" being a Greek word for Earth or land. As of this writing, Prinsloo is expecting a third child with Levine. So will the couple keep their nature-themed children's names for baby No.3?
She had dealt with postpartum depression
Like so many mothers, Behati Prinsloo has struggled with postpartum depression. The supermodel has been open about the challenges she faced as a first-time mom when she and Adam Levine welcomed their daughter Dusty Rose. Speaking to Today, she shared, "I had moments of postpartum (depression) after our first baby that I felt like it was coming through. But my husband was so incredibly supportive and always got me out of it. I think it's very normal, though, as a young mom and a new mom to feel helpless and to feel overly emotional, you know." According to the CDC, about one in eight women who have recently given birth will experience postpartum depression, which can affect a mother's health and lead to behavioral issues with a newborn.
However, Prinsloo has fallen in love with motherhood. She told People that before she had her first daughter, she didn't understand how a passion for a child could be run so deep. After she welcomed Dusty Rose, it all clicked for her in a very major way. "You think there's a limit to love — like, 'This is the thing that I love the most' — but honestly, I think what surprised me most is how intense that love is and also how hard, at times, it is," the model said.
Behati Prinsloo dated British model Jamie Strachan
Behati Prinsloo doesn't have a long list of Hollywood exes; she's seemingly managed to keep her romance history under the radar. However, before she began dating Adam Levine, Prinsloo was linked to British model Jamie Strachan for seven years. According to Hello!, the two began dating sometime around 2005 and ended their relationship in 2012, the same year Prinsloo was linked to the Maroon 5 frontman.
While Strachan's name might not ring a bell with fans, E! News reported that he has an extensive and successful modeling career. Strachan has modeled for high-end fashion designers like Gucci, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors. Per ABC News, Prinsloo and Strachan even modeled together for i-D magazine in 2010. After the pair split, Strachan began dating actor Dakota Fanning in 2013, but the couple called it quits in 2016, per Us Weekly.
Besides being married to Levine, Strachan is the only other celebrity known to have been involved with Prinsloo. It goes to show that the model values her privacy. "For me, I am very private, but I still want people to know me as a person. They might be able to know what I do for work, but I want them to know me as well," Prinsloo told Harper's Bazaar when explaining that using social media has made it easier to show her fans her personality while she can keep other aspects more guarded.
She and Adam Levine have matching tattoos
Adam Levine is covered in tattoos. He proudly shows off his body art on social media, like the massive piece that covers his entire back. In 2017, the "Moves Like Jagger" singer revealed new ink dedicated to Behati Prinsloo, which read "True Love" with a letter tattooed on each finger. In an Instagram photo, Levine is seen grabbing onto a woman's behind, which we can only guess is Prinsloo's, with the caption, "it's worth holding onto."
Prinsloo has also inked her skin in dedication to her hubby. According to ET, the model tattooed the script "You're so cool" in three rows on the left side of her body, which Levine also got on his right bicep. She said, "We first got it together when we got married." In February 2021, Prinsloo shared a photo on Instagram kissing her husband and captioned it, "Every day is (heart emoji) with you. @adamlevine you're so cool, you're so cool, you're so cool."
The model also has three other tattoos that fans know of. According to Yahoo! Style, when she married Levine, she inked three dots on her ring finger. Prinsloo said, "It means being one with Earth. And, I just wanted it on my ring finger, so when I take [my engagement ring] off, it's still there!" The model also has three circles on the back of her neck and her eldest daughter's name on her arm.
Her best pals are also Victoria's Secret models
Behati Prinsloo began working for Victoria's Secret in 2007, and she made lifelong friends with her VS colleagues. In 2016, both Prinsloo and her gal pal model Candice Swanepoel, who began her career with the lingerie brand the same year as Prinsloo, were pregnant at the same time with their first child. Both women also hail from Africa, making this friendship much more special.
According to E! News, in dedication to Mother's Day in 2016, Swanepoel shouted out Prinsloo on Instagram. She wrote, "Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mothers in my life and happy almost mama's day to us @behatiprinsloo. So much love already." Prinsloo had also mentioned Swanepoel in a touching post. "Still can't believe me and my African sis are expecting at the same time. So many good times together and so many more to come. LOVE YOU double trouble @angelcandices," she wrote.
Besides being best friends with Swanepoel, Prinsloo is also good friends with model Lily Aldridge. She shared with Net-a-Porter about the women having group chats on WhatsApp to discuss life outside the runway. "It's so fun to have that friendship where you totally understand each other's job, but you never talk about work. In the last messages we exchanged, Candice showed us a video of her little boy, and we were all dying over his shoes," she said.
Behati Prinsloo is an animal rights activist
Behati Prinsloo is dedicated to advocating for the animal population in Africa, especially rhinos. According to Reuters, Namibia, where Prinsloo was raised, is home to the second-largest population of the white rhino and a third of the world's black rhino population. According to Save the Rhino, as of December 2021, less than 27,000 rhinos were left on Earth.
Prinsloo has made it her mission to protect these targeted creatures. In 2019, she became the Global Ambassador for Save the Rhino Trust Namibia and shared why it was vital for her to be a part of the organization with Ellen DeGeneres. "And I think as a Namibian and as someone who loves animals and wants to make a change, I just heard — and we all know poaching is going on, we all know devastating stuff is happening — but I just really wanted to join and make a difference," she said.
Prinsloo has also taken advantage of her Instagram account, where she has over eight million followers, to spread awareness of the importance of helping rhinos. On September 22, 2020, which has been declared World Rhino Day, Prinsloo shared a selfie with a rhino and wrote, "Today is World Rhino Day, and more than ever we have to come together and protect our animals and planet for future generations. I'm so proud to be a part of @savetherhinonamibia and see first hand what conservation can do for a species."