What's Happened To Chrissy Teigen Since She Got Canceled
At one point, Chrissy Teigen seemed to have it all. The supermodel married musical sensation John Legend in a luxurious ceremony in Lake Como, Italy in 2013. Every detail of the elegant affair was featured by Martha Stewart Weddings, right down to the stunning 4-tier carrot cake.
After getting married, Teigen went on to grow her family and expand her career. Nobody could have predicted that Teigen's reputation would soon take a hard hit, but that's precisely what happened in 2021 when model Courtney Stodden accused Teigen of being a dangerous bully. Stodden unearthed old (now-deleted) tweets that included messages from Teigen which said "I hate you," and "My Friday fantasy: you. dirt nap. mmmmmm baby," according to TMZ. The series of troubling texts cast shadows of doubt over Teigen's character, and she was branded a bully. The star suddenly faced heavy media scrutiny for her behavior after having been embraced and celebrated on social media for so long.
Her actions opened the floodgates for a series of other such allegations from Michael Costello, who accused Teigen of sending him the message, "Racist people like you deserve to suffer and die," among other hateful comments, according to Newsweek. Teigen slammed back against Costello, accusing him of fabricating his story. She quickly became the target of cancel culture and faced widespread backlash as other words from her past came to light. Chrissy Teigen endured a number of emotional, financial, and social setbacks before finding her footing once again.
She made space for apologies and self-reflection
Chrissy Teigen's Instagram page is often used for posting photographs of her glamorous life and picture-perfect outfits as well as her delectable food creations. This temporarily changed when she was caught by cancel culture after her controversial tweets surfaced. Teigen's targets in the early 2010s included Courtney Stodden, Avril Lavigne, Lindsay Lohan, and several others.
Teigen had already tried deleting her profile in March 2021 due to the platform's negative effects on her, right before Stodden spoke up. "Seeing Chrissy Teigen leave Twitter over negativity and bullying was, I just couldn't believe how hypocritical it was. ...I experienced so much harassment and bullying from her when I was just 16 years old," Stodden said in a since-deleted Instagram video (via TMZ).
Teigen returned to Twitter in April and first issued an apology to Stodden in May 2021. She went about a month without posting on social media, then released an in-depth apology on Medium and Instagram. Teigen admitted that she had acted poorly in the past and let fans know how badly she felt about her actions, insisting those days were behind her. "Not a day, not a single moment has passed where I haven't felt the crushing weight of regret for the things I've said in the past," she wrote. "I was a troll, full stop. And I am so sorry," Teigen shared, admitting, "I thought it made me cool and relatable if I poked fun at celebrities." The author put the focus on bettering herself and restoring her image. Teigen also detailed what she had been doing to rectify her errors, citing life experience and lots of therapy.
She stayed home and out of the public eye
The savage tweets Chrissy Teigen aimed at Courtney Stodden were a very hot topic for fans and critics. Taylor Ferber, who had written a 2016 article about Teigen's Twitter bullying, analyzed the situation's developments in 2021 for USA Today. She addressed cancel culture and the celebrities affected by it, writing, "...I challenge Teigen to use this moment to get into a real, open discussion with her millions of followers about bullying and its repercussions. Get in their minds, and let them into hers." That's exactly what Teigen did.
Teigen stayed home and avoided the scrutiny of the press, but eventually, the wildly social and typically bubbly star just couldn't take the silence anymore. She took to Instagram to share her feelings with the fans that she had left. "All I know is I love you guys, I miss you guys, and I just needed an honest moment with you because I'm just...tired of being sick with myself all day," Teigen wrote in her post. She expressed her emotional turmoil by saying, "I can't do this silent sh*t anymore! If you or someone you know has also been cancelled please let me know if there is a cancel club reunion because I could use some time off my couch!"
Teigen's apology wasn't well-received by all her followers. Some responded by applauding her for her efforts, but others were less inclined to immediately forgive her. Messages such as "You reap what you sow," and "#chrissyteigencancelled" were quickly posted to the comments section of her Instagram page.
Chrissy Teigen struggled with her mental health
Once adored by her millions of fans on social media, Chrissy Teigen found herself having to contend with angry online critics. Teigen admitted to being depressed when she was canceled, and was honest about how difficult it was to be judged by her worst moments.
Describing her newfound isolation, she wrote on Instagram, "...[I] feel like utter shit in real life. Going outside sucks and doesn't feel right, being at home alone with my mind makes my depressed head race." Teigen added, "I feel lost and need to find my place again, I need to snap out of this..." Being publicly called out left Teigen feeling vulnerable. Unable to hide from the errors of her ways, handling this situation under intense media scrutiny proved to be a taxing experience for her.
The star had previously opened up to Glamour UK in 2020 about the fragility of her emotions. "I am now more filtered than I used to be," Teigen said. "It's good to think about what you're going to say as it's going to live forever... I desperately still want to be liked, so sometimes it's better for me not to say it, just for my own mental health as I am not as strong as people think."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
She says she has 'done the work'
Chrissy Teigen worked hard to rectify the damage she caused with her hurtful social media commentary, and she pursued therapy as further demonstration of her effort to reconcile her errors. During her first public interview since being canceled, Teigen opened up to Hoda Kotb on "Today." The celeb explained that she had gone through the process of reaching out to people she had offended and apologized for any harm she caused. "It was a big moment of like, wow, I need to find out how I can be better, how I can grow from this, learn from this. ... Truly it made me a stronger person, a better person," Teigen revealed. "I feel like I've done the work, and I just hope these people can forgive and be able to welcome the fact that, hopefully they've seen me be better," she added in the interview.
Teigen said she pursued therapy after her cyber-bullying attacks went public. She had originally tweeted in May 2021, "Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bullsh*t in front of the entire world. I'm mortified and sad at who I used to be. I was an insecure, attention seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior..." A few months later, in August, the cookbook author posted a carousel of photos expressing her happiness with husband John Legend. "...I'm in twice weekly therapy and perhaps let's bump it to three," she wrote on Instagram.
Chrissy Teigen feared she may be canceled forever
Chrissy Teigen voiced her realization that she may be canceled forever, and expressed concern over the disruption of the life and status she once knew. In July 2021, while on her way to pick up her daughter Luna from school, Teigen was asked how long she thought her cancelation would last, and she opened up about the uncertainty of her future. "I don't know. It could be forever. I have no idea. I don't know," she told paparazzi, according to ET. Teigen continued, "All I can do is live my life and take care of my kids and family. Everyone else can make their choice. You just have to be able to live your life and do the same things you were doing before."
Teigen's frustrations were echoed on her social media pages, and she posted a heartfelt message on Instagram: "... I desperately wanna communicate with you guys instead of pretending everything is okay. I'm not used to any other way!!" Teigen said, in part. She went on, "Cancel club is a fascinating thing and I have learned a whollllle lot. Only a few understand it and it's impossible to know til you're in it."
She gave up alcohol
With Chrissy Teigen's character under attack, and scrutiny mounting, the model decided she needed to pull in the reins on her behavior, and she committed to quitting her drinking habit. She routinely updated fans on her sobriety streak and proudly celebrated the milestones surrounding this success.
Teigen candidly shared stories about her alcohol consumption that painted an honest picture to fans. "The first time I have ever been able to enjoy everyone enjoying dinner!! I used to start my thanksgiving prep with a shot of cafe patron (COFFEE TEQUILA) and I'd pretty much take another every couple of hours," she shared on Instagram. She successfully went on a trip to Italy without drinking, and shared that experience with fans on IG, too. "I hate the word sober by the way, it's so rehab/medical. Anyhow honestly it was so so trippy being sober at something you typically would have been wasted at," Teigen said.
The model was cheered on in her efforts and received encouragement from her fans. "I now have endless energy, way less anxiety (no more benzos!) and I am *happier* and more present than ever. It's pretty cool. I look forward to having my full body reset after 1 year, then reevaluating to see my new hopes and wishes for the future!" she told her Instagram followers in January 2022.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
She relied on her husband to defend her
In 2014, fashion designer Michael Costello alleged that someone photoshopped one of his social media comments to make it appear that he used the "N" word toward designer Maxie James. He claimed Chrissy Teigen responded by sending him a text that read, "Good! racist people like you deserve to suffer and die," according to Refinery29. "As a result of what Chrissy Teigen did to me in 2014, I am not okay...To this day, I am still not able to recover from the years of trauma I have experienced," he said. This added to the mounting allegations against Teigen's character, which prompted her famous husband to defend his wife's honor. John Legend issued a series of tweets in Teigen's defense. "Chrissy apologized for her public tweets, but after her apology, Mr Costello fabricated a DM exchange between them. This exchange was made up, completely fake, never happened," Legend said.
While Teigen sat reeling from the scathing backlash, Legend tried to change the negative narrative circling about his wife. "Honestly I don't know why anyone would fake DMs to insert themselves in this narrative, but that's what happened," Legend tweeted. The singer rallied around Teigen in an attempt to neutralize the anger fans felt upon discovering her online bullying. Legend tweeted a sweet message about judgement and forgiveness, in his wife's honor. "We are all more than our worst moments, " he said with heart emojis, quoting the apology she wrote on Medium.
Her business and brand took a huge hit
Chrissy Teigen was accustomed to being connected with her fans on social media. The star relied heavily on her online presence, as it was the platform from which she could self-promote with the click of a button. However, when she was suddenly labeled as a bully, the brands and numerous income streams she had created for herself were affected by her unsavory behavior, and her endorsement deals began to fall apart.
Her pocketbook took a direct hit when big brand stores no longer wanted to be associated with her tainted image. Teigen was reportedly forced to forfeit her marketing presence in the Safely cleaning brand, her business venture with Kris Jenner, according to the Daily Mail. Page Six named the major department stores that pulled back from Teigen's brand and ceased to offer her products. Her cookware line was removed from Macy's as well as Bloomingdale's and Target.
She also gave up a guest voiceover role on Netflix's "Never Have I Ever," per Variety. This made way for supermodel Gigi Hadid to step in and take over for Teigen.
Chrissy Teigen had fat removed from her cheeks
Chrissy Teigen openly admitted to undergoing a plastic surgery procedure to have fat removed from her cheeks, most likely in an attempt to accentuate her cheekbones. Teigen shared the details of her procedure with curious fans.
The Cosmetic Lane captured a video that was originally uploaded by Teigen to her Instagram stories in September 2021. Visibly excited about the work she'd just had done, Teigen faced the camera and revealed her latest efforts at transforming her image. "I did that Dr. Diamond buccal fat removal thing here," Teigen said to her fans, adding, "I like it. Yeah, I did it, what?" CNN reported on Dr. Diamond's highly esteemed reputation, and noted that he was on Netflix's "Celebrity Plastic Surgeons."
Teigen captioned her Instagram video, "no shame in my dr diamond game." Aside from this particular plastic surgery procedure, Teigen had previously come forward to share that she was having her breast implants removed. People reported that she had undergone liposuction to remove fat from her armpits in the past, as well.
She became the center of jokes
The unpleasant textual exchange between Chrissy Teigen and Courtney Stodden was not only very damaging to Teigen's image; it also had long-lasting effects. The topic commanded the headlines, and as Teigen struggled to endure the backlash from millions of fans across the world, she was simultaneously targeted by her peers. Teigen became the butt of jokes and was even called out for her bullying by Pete Davidson.
At the height of her cyber-bullying scandal, Davidson fired off on Teigen's behavior publicly during a "Saturday Night Live" Season 46 episode. Davidson took aim at Teigen in a direct manner by making fun of the fact that she had been canceled by the public. "If there's one good thing about the pandemic, besides getting Chrissy Teigen out of our lives..." Davidson said (via Page Six).
Even after Teigen turned to social media to make amends with her fans, she was relentlessly dragged for her bullying. Teigen's poor behavior in the past continued to be a reference point as she tried moving forward with her future. Newsweek released a summary of all the celebrities that Teigen had trolled on social media, shedding light on the fact that she had publicly shamed others well before Davidson made her the subject of his sarcastic commentary.
Chrissy Teigen attended President Barack Obama's famous birthday party
Chrissy Teigen endured public humiliation, media scrutiny, and cancelation when her unsavory behavior was publicly aired. In spite of the obvious negative impact this had on her reputation, she managed to find her way back to social media to overcome the negativity and set a new tone.
Teigen confidently made a return to the social scene and represented herself with class and integrity. She accepted an invitation to attend the prestigious, star-studded celebration of Barack Obama's birthday, effectively putting herself back on the map for something other than her unfortunate online behavior. Teigen boasted about her experience on Instagram and was visibly delighted. She was able to elevate her image by scoring a VIP invitation to one of the most highly esteemed celebrations of the year.
She worked toward personal and professional milestones, including the release of her "Cravings: All Together" cookbook in October 2021. People highlighted this accomplishment and became an example of a media outlet that chose to focus on Teigen's positive path forward. Teigen did her part to self-promote and share how she's come a long way on her journey. She released an Instagram post to unveil her new cookbook, giving fans an opportunity to engage with her in a moment of growth. "This book is reflective of everything I wanted and we needed as a family to bring into our home, it is truly a piece of us, and I am so excited to share it with you," she wrote.