She's come out of her shell and is ready to flaunt her body.
Linda Evangelista discussed the mental and physical suffering she has had as a result of the botched procedure, in a recent interview with PEOPLE. The supermodel stated she had been “permanently deformed” and “brutally disfigured,” after having the fat-reduction treatment CoolSculpting late last year.
“I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know,” she told the magazine. “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 September, Linda filed a lawsuit against CoolSculpting’s parent firm, Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc., stating that she has been unable to work after receiving seven CoolSculpting treatments in a dermatologist’s clinic from August 2015 to February 2016.
She started to observe bulges around her chin, thighs, and bra region three months after having the CoolSculpting treatment done. The spots she wanted to treat became bigger and harder, until they went numb all of a sudden.
“I tried to fix it myself, thinking I was doing something wrong,” she said. “I got to where I wasn’t eating at all. I thought I was losing my mind.”
“No amount of dieting, and no amount of exercise was ever going to fix it,” the doctor told her at that time and when she notified CoolSculpting about her PAH, the company offered to pay for liposuction to set things right.
“It wasn’t even a little bit better,” she explained. “The bulges are protrusions. 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.”
She also mentioned that she can no longer lay her arms flat at her sides, which has affected her posture. “I don’t think designers are going to want to dress me with that sticking out of my body,” she says, motioning to the rectangular PAH beneath her arm.
“I don’t look in the mirror,” she added. “It doesn’t look like me.”
Following her tragic story, Linda is still working on embracing her new physique and loving herself. She indicated that she opted to flaunt her figure and share her story in order to encourage other ladies who had faced similar challenges.
“I hope I can shed myself of some of the shame and help other people who are in the same situation as me,” she said. “That’s my goal. I’m not going to hide anymore.”
Reactions to Linda Evangelista Shows Off Body For The First Time After A Botched Cosmetic Procedure
If our society wasn't so fatphobic and ageist, this shit wouldn't be a thing. It's so sad.
@lachristagreco
If our society wasn't so fatphobic and ageist, this shit wouldn't be a thing. It's so sad. https://t.co/5Ka3FaDVha
— 𝕃 𝕒 𝕔 𝕙 𝕣 𝕚 𝕤 𝕥 𝕒 (@lachristagreco) February 16, 2022
i just keep thinking about this shit. she was internationally admired as one of the most beautiful women in the world and still was pushed by societys standards to do this.
@_blueve
i just keep thinking about this shit. she was internationally admired as one of the most beautiful women in the world and still was pushed by societys standards to do this. https://t.co/IvzKqTwa0u
— eve (@_blueve) February 16, 2022
Still my favorite supermodel of all time. #LindaEvangelista
@bravogurl3
Still my favorite supermodel of all time. #LindaEvangelista https://t.co/TSonrWYsvs
— Ramona’s pinot gris (@bravogurl3) February 17, 2022
We Still Love You Linda No Matter What. This Takes Great Courage To Speak Up. #LindaEvangelista ❤️❤️❤️👑👑👑👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@mahardhikasptr
We Still Love You Linda No Matter What. This Takes Great Courage To Speak Up. #LindaEvangelista ❤️❤️❤️👑👑👑👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 https://t.co/rQUVv3CLmF
— D M S (@mahardhikasptr) February 17, 2022
🧵 This is such a sad story and it'll be so easy for people to say 'that's what you get for being vain,' but women are celebrated or shamed for their looks more than literally anything else they offer to the world. Hands down.
@HeidiStevens13
🧵
— Heidi Stevens (@HeidiStevens13) February 16, 2022
This is such a sad story and it'll be so easy for people to say 'that's what you get for being vain,' but women are celebrated or shamed for their looks more than literally anything else they offer to the world. Hands down. https://t.co/NkSpwn2qJH
It takes so much for people to open up about being less than perfect physically in any case but Linda literally made a living off of people believing she was one of the most beautiful women in the world, this is brave and the people dismissing it show that if someone doesn't have
@bbylov1221
It takes so much for people to open up about being less than perfect physically in any case but Linda literally made a living off of people believing she was one of the most beautiful women in the world, this is brave and the people dismissing it show that if someone doesn't have https://t.co/wRUGjdMEBA
— Cinderslut (@bbylov1221) February 16, 2022
read this morning. so sad. i hope she’s able to view herself the way she wants again.
@WAPANES3
read this morning. so sad. i hope she’s able to view herself the way she wants again. https://t.co/DTTTZpO6TA
— veronica mars (@WAPANES3) February 16, 2022
Sending you positivity, strength, and wishing you self love… We all struggle with our perception of ourself worth… it is lifechanging when we decide to put one foot in front of the other n decide to live our best life.. you are on your way!
@EllenMcGuigan14
Sending you positivity, strength, and wishing you self love… We all struggle with our perception of ourself worth… it is lifechanging when we decide to put one foot in front of the other n decide to live our best life.. you are on your way! https://t.co/A6aqIJqatL
— Ellen McGuigan (@EllenMcGuigan14) February 16, 2022
I think she looks awesome but I 100% get that how you view/judge yourself naked in front of a mirror overrides what others think and I wasn’t a supermodel. I hope she finds resolution and peace because feeling shitty about yourself is a dangerous road to travel.
@thepizzasnob13
I think she looks awesome but I 100% get that how you view/judge yourself naked in front of a mirror overrides what others think and I wasn’t a supermodel. I hope she finds resolution and peace because feeling shitty about yourself is a dangerous road to travel. https://t.co/ZNNFQSEf8a
— Jenny (@thepizzasnob13) February 17, 2022
It just goes to show, no matter how beautiful the world thinks you are, self love is something that is even more powerful and RARE. Thank you for sharing this story but I still wonder how this story will help the average woman who lacks wealth and convenience... #LindaEvangelista
@solequeen2020
It just goes to show, no matter how beautiful the world thinks you are, self love is something that is even more powerful and RARE. Thank you for sharing this story but I still wonder how this story will help the average woman who lacks wealth and convenience… #LindaEvangelista https://t.co/UQ7ixbDPxh
— solequeen1414 (@solequeen2020) February 17, 2022