Two ex-Victoria’s Secret models, Josephine Skriver, from Denmark, and Jasmine Tookes, from California, have spoken up about their experiences as representatives for the brand. They opened up about the effects the work had on their body image, and how they did not realize they were impacting so many women around the world.
Victoria’s Secret Models Speak Up
For thousands of young women across the globe, becoming a model is their life ambition. They put themselves through grueling routines of crazy workouts with personal trainers and seriously restrictive diets. Moreover, they motivate themselves with unrealistic ideals by comparing themselves to modes up on the runway.
Jasmine Tookes, 32, and Josephine Skriver, 30, are two ex-Victoria’s Secret models. They have graciously spoken up about the life they lived as famous models. In an interview with the Real Pod podcast, they expressed wholeheartedly their experiences then, and how they see things in hindsight.
Read More: Instagram Model Claims Her 22-Pound Breasts Got Her Kicked Off Plane
Glamor or Woken Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed
Everyone has their own idea how what celebrities might look like when they wake up in the morning. For some reason, many assume they always look glamorous and perfect. However, this is not the case for most. Even super modes are human beings, and Tookes made sure that she mentioned this in the interview. She said how everyone thought that she was “perfect,” or, “always so put together.” But, according to the ex-Victoria’s Secret mode, this is simply not so.
Jasmine Wants People to See The Real Her
Moreover, she is a mother, and this comes with a whole new side of a reality check. “If you saw me waking up in the morning in my house, the middle of the day, walking around with spit up all over me from the baby, no makeup on, that’s my real life,” she said.
Words from Josephine Skriver
“It was a weird time because you realize you were getting a massive amount of eyes looking at you. You understood that with VS,” said Josephine, who originates from Denmark. “But we got signed right when social media exploded too, so it was this combination of everyone’s gonna know you for this glamorous side. Like, it takes two and a half hours in hair and makeup, personal trainers, this whole situation. Yet you now have the ability of taking them behind the scenes and showing them the more real you.”
Read More: Victoria’s Secret Unveiled Its First Model With Down Syndrome
Q&A Gone Too Far
When Josephine Skriver realized how much they were influencing their fans and followers, she was amazed. But then, that amazement quickly turned into surprise when their fascination included menial things, like, what toothpaste they used. “Like, they wanted to know what kind of toothpaste I used and I was like, ‘Really? That just seems boring,’” she recalled.
Unrecognizable as Victoria’s Secret Models
Both Jasmine and Josephine agreed that the pictures the world saw were highly edited for the campaigns they modeled for. so much so, they hardy recognized themselves. Josephine said she was able to walk around in public without being recognized.
She could even go so far as stand next to her Victoria’s Secret billboard with a massive picture of her, and no one would recognize her. “I would stand next to the big billboards on the street, and I could stand there for 30 minutes, and not a single person could put the two people together,” said Josephine. “I’m like, ‘I don’t even look like my pictures.’ Sometimes my mom would be like, ‘Is that you? I didn’t even know you could look like this.’”
Selita Ebanks and Erin Heatherton Reveal the Dark Side of Modeling for Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s Secret may have been the dream destination for many models, but for some, the experience came with a harsh reality. Take Selita Ebanks and Erin Heatherton, for example—two of the latest to speak out about the challenges of being part of the exclusive brand. Neither has painted a flattering picture of their time there.
“Modeling for Victoria’s Secret comes with a code,” Ebanks revealed in an exclusive True Hollywood Story aired on American television. She opened up about the strict expectations placed on models. “There is an expectation to maintain [a certain] size, and unfortunately, we are going against Mother Nature. It’s not something that’s natural, it’s not something that should happen. It’s tough,” she confessed. But calling it “tough” might be an understatement.
Backed by a Psychotherapist
Psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser backed up these claims, saying she often heard about extreme dieting measures models would take to maintain their figures, including surviving on nothing more than an apple a day. Ebanks now realizes the pressure she faced was harmful, but at the time, becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel was her ultimate goal. “I’ve been on many runways, but to be a part of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, for me, was more than just a job. It was the highlight,” she reminisced.
However, The Fame Came at a Cost
Ebanks admitted that she had to constantly fight for her place in the industry, and there were lasting physical and mental consequences from the brand’s relentless focus on appearance. “It’s really hard for a lot of Victoria’s Secret models to have the kind of self-worth that the rest of us have, because it’s all about their appearance,” she explained. “No one wants to hear what they have to say.”
The glamorous image associated with Victoria’s Secret has often masked the pressure and struggles that models like Ebanks and Heatherton faced behind the scenes. Their stories shed light on the toll it can take on both body and mind.
Read More: The Supermodel Who Is World’s Most Beautiful Woman, According To Science
Sources
- “We were Victoria’s Secret models — everything you saw was fake.” New York Post. Adriana Diaz. July 7, 2023.
- “I used to model for Victoria’s Secret – what you saw on the catwalk was not real and even my mother didn’t recognize me.” DailyMail. Gina Kalsi. July 7, 2023.
- “Even former Victoria’s Secret models felt brand’s body ideals ‘went against Mother Nature’” Image. Sarah Finnan. October 27, 2021