The Shady Side Of Victoria's Secret Models

In December 2018, Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale was accused of fat-shaming when she filmed herself jumping rope right outside of an In-N-Out Burger restaurant. In one clip, Gale quips, "We're at ... In-N-Out? ... so I guess I'm having my pear!" She followed that up with another video of herself setting up her exercise equipment on a table outside of the fast food eatery, asking her followers, "Who else works out at In-N-Out?" She then did a series of exercises, including leg lifts and more jumping rope. In another video, a friend brought Gale a bunch of fruit and vegetables while she was still outside of the burger joint. "Not gonna pretend that I eat here guys, 'cause I don't," she said in another clip.

At best, Gale was acting desperate for attention, and, at worst, she was not-so-subtly shaming people who enjoy fast food. One follower snapped on Twitter, "Who the hell does [Kelly Gale] think she is? How dare you fat-shame others? [In-N-Out] is the best and you can eat whatever you want Ms. Gale but please don't be so pathetic and unkind to others. Entitlement is not cute." The ill-advised videos were apparently part of a marketing exercise for the fashion retailer, Revolve. Per the Daily Mail, neither Gale nor the company in question responded to a request to comment on the controversy. 

At the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Karlie Kloss strutted the runway in a Native American-inspired headdress as part of a Thanksgiving-themed look. In Native American culture, headdresses are ceremonial and representative of respect — they are something to be earned. As a result, many were offended by the way it was used during the show, with Navajo Nation spokesman Erny Zah telling AP (via Time), "We have gone through the atrocities to survive and ensure our way of life continues. Any mockery, whether it's Halloween, Victoria's Secret — they are spitting on us. They are spitting on our culture, and it's upsetting." Victoria's Secret quickly apologized, tweeting that the offensive look would be removed from the broadcast. Kloss also tweeted her response, stating, "I am deeply sorry if what I wore during the VS Show offended anyone."

In 2015, after a two-year stint as an Angel, the model left the company altogether. At the time it appeared the decision was due to her busy schedule. However, four years later, and following some feminist theory studies at NYU, Kloss suggested to British Vogue that she had other concerns. "I didn't feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am and the kind of message I want to send to young women around the world about what it means to be beautiful," she explained. "I think that was a pivotal moment in me stepping into my power as a feminist, being able to make my own choices and my own narrative."

While Bella and Gigi Hadid have long been two of fashion's biggest IT girls, their rise to fame has not been without controversy and both have been accused of racial insensitivity. In 2018, Bella was accused of using a racial slur while singing along to Lil Wayne's "Rich As F***" at Coachella. This led netizens to dredge up old tweets from the supermodel in which she'd also used the same word and others where she'd stated stereotypes against people of color.

A year later, the model accidentally offended her followers by posting a photo of her shoe facing a Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates aircraft — which in Middle Eastern countries can symbolize that whatever it's facing is beneath you. The star issued a lengthy apology for the pic on Twitter, where she wrote, "I would never want my posts or platform to be used for hate against anyone especially those of my own beautiful and powerful heritage ... I love and care so much about the Muslim and Arab side of my family."

Back in 2014, when Bella was 17, she made different headlines when she was arrested for underage drinking and driving under the influence (she pleaded no contest to the charges), per TMZ. After the incident, Blind Gossip published an email allegedly sent from Yolanda Hadid to her youngest daughter. The purported correspondence begged Bella to clean up her act as well as her car, which was reportedly strewn with prescription drugs, beer cans, vodka bottles, rolling papers, and dirty underwear. 

In the 90s and early 2000s, Tyra Banks ruled fashion. From the catwalk to our television screens, the model was inescapable and hugely influential. In 2003, Banks created the successful reality competition show, "America's Next Top Model," which lasted for 24 cycles and 315 episodes. Though still seen as a cult classic, in recent years, "ANTM" has received its fair share of criticism.

Many former contestants such as Kahlen Rondot, Shandi Sullivan, and Lisa D'Amato have alleged that they experienced humiliation and trauma during their time as contestants on the show. In a since-deleted blog post, Cycle 1 winner Adrianne Curry even claimed that she was never given her prizes after the show had completed — a contract with Revlon cosmetics and representation by Wilhelmina Models (a spokesperson for Banks declined to comment on Curry's accusations, but told Entertainment Weekly that some aspects of production were beyond her control).

But this only touches the surface of the accusations. Several contestants, such as Angelea Preston, have accused the show of starving contestants and dehydrating them for the sake of drama. "When the cameras stopped rolling, it was like [Banks] was a stranger," Preston told Insider. "I used to admire her so much. I wanted to be like her. When I met her, I was very disappointed." Speaking to "Chicks in the Office" in 2020 about the show's many on-screen missteps — but not necessarily its alleged behind-the-scenes issues — Banks noted, "I've apologized for it and we're going to apologize again and keep apologizing because it was wrong."

In the 2010s, Cara Delevingne was unstoppable and everywhere — from the big screen to Tumblr dashboards and designer campaigns. Thanks to her bold brows and piercing smize, the British bombshell snagged contacts with Fendi, Burberry, Chanel, and of course, Victoria's Secret, where she walked the annual fashion show for two years in a row. 

Despite her success, Delevingne has weathered her fair share of controversy. In 2022, for instance, the model was accused of fetishizing Black women after she exhibited erratic behavior around Megan Thee Stallion at the BBMA's. The star was seen following the musician around, sticking her tongue at her, and appearing to interrupt her conversations, which many felt stole the limelight from the award winner. During an appearance on "The Tonight Show" (via E! News), Delevingne told Jimmy Fallon that she was simply being Megan's hype woman. "I was living my best life, but people found it a bit odd," she said. "But that's me. No shame."

At a Halloween party a year earlier, the model was filmed interrupting Azalea Banks mid-performance by invading the stage, grabbing the mic, and talking over the opening bars of "212" before licking the rapper's legs. Amidst the controversy, Banks defended her pal in a lengthy Twitter thread where she dismissed criticisms of her behavior. 

By the end of 2022, Delevingne attracted even bigger scrutiny due to her increasingly erratic behavior. Speaking to Vogue a year later, she described these headlines as a wake-up call to fully address her substance misuse issues and get sober. 

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In 2013, Devon Windsor walked her first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. This led to her becoming a regular on the VS runway, and she eventually earned her wings as an Angel. With her classic all-American look, Windsor truly embodied the allure associated with the brand, but it also left her at a disadvantage: this model doesn't have a clue about white privilege. 

When a discussion about diversity in fashion happened during an episode of E!'s "Model Squad," many models of color spoke about the adversities they had faced in the predominantly-white industry. When Windsor joined the discussion by sharing that she found it hard to live in a different city every month where she didn't speak the language, her fellow models pointed out that these difficulties weren't quite on the same level. Windsor retaliated by joking, "Do you know how hard it is to be blonde? I have to get a highlight every month." It didn't go down too well with her fellow models or the show's viewers.

On Twitter, Windsor acknowledged the struggles of her fellow models and apologized for her insensitive statements. "I made a comment in jest to infuse levity and I feel terrible that I have hurt others. I'm even more disappointed that my comments could lead anyone to believe that I have a prejudicial bias," she said. "... I hope that I can continue to learn from others. I am always trying to be a better version of myself!"

Gisele Bündchen first joined Victoria's Secret in 2006 and has since built a long and fruitful legacy, becoming one of the richest models in the world with an estimated net worth of $400 million, as of 2022. Still, she is not immune to making ignorant comments. On several occasions, Bündchen found herself at the center of controversy due to her comments about breastfeeding. 

In a 2010 interview with Harper's Bazaar, (via Daily Mail) Bündchen expressed that it should be a worldwide law for mothers to breastfeed for at least six months. The comments came seven months after the birth of her son, and she was already back to modeling bikinis. "'I think breastfeeding really helped," she said. "Some people here think they don't have to breastfeed, and I think, 'Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?'"

From what the model describes, her first experience with motherhood was somewhat of a fairytale, and many were infuriated at Bündchen's ignorance and privilege. She eventually backed down. "It's unfortunate that in an interview sometimes things can seem so black and white. I am sure if I would just be sitting talking about my experiences with other mothers, we would just be sharing opinions," she wrote in a since-deleted blog post. "I understand that everyone has their own experience and opinions and I am not here to judge." 

Naomi Campbell is one of the biggest supermodels in the universe, rising to fame as a teen by first starring in a Bob Marley music video. She quickly made a name for herself in the fashion world, and by 1996 she was walking down the Victoria's Secret runway. But despite her modeling success, Campbell found herself in the midst of many a controversy... namely eight different assault allegations, per The Independent.

In 1998, Campbell came under fire for assaulting her assistant, Georgina Galanis, who accused Campbell of grabbing her throat and hitting her in the head with a telephone while the model was filming a movie in Toronto, Canada. Campbell ended up pleading guilty in Canadian court in 2000, according to the BBC, but did not receive jail time. A few years later, the supermodel found herself in a similar situation — this time being accused of assaulting her housekeeper, Ana Scolavino, with a Blackberry smartphone that left her requiring four stitches, according to Reuters. A sentencing of a third-degree assault charge followed, which included five days of community service, a $363 fine, and an order to attend anger management classes. Over the years, even more employees raised abuse allegations, and she even faced two counts of assaulting an officer in 2008 while being removed from a British Airways flight. Most recently, Campbell was found guilty of assaulting a paparazzi in Sicily in 2015 following a 2009 altercation, per ET Online. 

Heidi Klum landed one of the biggest jobs in her modeling career in 1997 when she first walked the Victoria's Secret runway. The gig would continue on for 13 years, and during 11 of those Klum was one of the revered Victoria's Secret Angels. But her notoriety would also land her in the spotlight for some less-than-flattering reasons, like being accused of cultural appropriation over a Halloween costume back in 2008.  After her Victoria's Secret status, Klum was also incredibly well known for her over-the-top Halloween parties, which included her arriving in incredibly outlandish costumes over the years. But in 2008 as the supermodel arrived in blue face paint and an elaborate golden crown and black wig as the Hindu goddess Kali, many Hindi leaders took issue with the getup, per British Vogue, with Hindu Janajagruti Samiti member Bhavna Shinde calling it "denigrating."

According to the outlet, the model earned the Best Costume of the night award, with many praising her for the creative selection. She told reporters of the inspiration, "It was actually my assistant's idea. My husband and I were in India last year, so she said, 'Why don't you do an Indian goddess? Like a scary Indian goddess?' And I said 'OK!'" And on Instagram, she elaborated, writing, "In 2008, after an inspiring trip to India (one of my favorite places I've ever traveled to), with the intention of the utmost of respect, I wanted to pay homage to a part of their vibrant culture by dressing as the goddess Kali for #HeidiHalloween!" 

Model Jourdan Dunn was already a high-fashion darling long before making her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut in 2012. Her run with the brand would be short lived — by 2015 she was vocally speaking out against Victoria's Secret. That November Dunn tweeted (via Teen Vogue), "Feeling so much better about not doing BS ... sorry I mean VS now that Rihanna isn't doing it also." Calling her old employer "BS" didn't sit well with fans, and she quickly deleted her post. It wouldn't be her first time in negative spotlight, just a few years later she found herself in hot water for a controversial magazine cover.

Back in 2009, Dunn landed the cover of Teen Vogue at just 19 years old. And while that doesn't sound controversial, she also happened to be pregnant at the time. Her baby bump isn't pictured in the cover photo, but the accompanying article revealed that the pregnancy was not planned and the model struggled with how to share the news, sharing, "all I could think about was what my mom was going to say, my agency, my boyfriend." As for her mom's reaction, Dunn revealed, "When I told my mom, she started crying and blaming herself. She got pregnant with me at the same age, and she said, 'I don't want you to have to go through what I did." Many organizations were unhappy with the glamorization of teen pregnancy in the wake of the cover, with the executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, Valerie Huber, stating, "Teen parenting isn't glamorous, even if you are a teen model" (per PennLive).