Kate Upton On How The Critics Impacted On Her Confidence

Kate Upton has opened up about her struggle with body confidence and the impact her critics had on her at the beginning of her career. Upton – who stars on the latest cover of Sports Illustrated – sat down with four of the models in the new issue to tackle the topic.

"I got my first cover when I was 19," the model said during an interview on Facebook Live this weekend. "After my first cover, critics were discussing whether I was fat or not. I had this huge moment in my career and they were tearing it apart."

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Upton explained that she didn't let this get the better of her: "I have to thank the people who did that because it really made me sit back and find out who I was and what meant something to me and how I thought about my body. At 19, I wasn't thinking about that. I sat there answering all these questions I had about my body because I didn't really know."

"They lashed out on me because they felt insecure about themselves," she concluded about her critics. "I realise that the confidence I had in my body was actually meant to inspire women to love themselves for all their different flaws."

Upton was not the only Sports Illustrated model who admitted to having struggled with body confidence. Hailey Clauson explained that when she hit puberty, her modelling career suffered and this impacted on her hugely.

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"I started modelling when I was 13 or 14 and at that age I was already six-foot tall but I hadn't grown into my body yet," Clauson explained. "Then when I hit 17, everything changed. I wasn't as skinny anymore, I got these boobs and my agency didn't know what to do with me. I just felt so lost and sad. And it was really hard for me because I love fashion so much and I love modelling. So to be told you can't do it anymore is just devastating."

Fellow model Sailor Brinkley Cook and the gymnast Aly Raisman also joined in the discussion, admitting the insecurities they have felt. Watch the inspiring chat below.

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From: Harper's BAZAAR UK