Supermodel Linda Evangelista is speaking candidly about the physical and emotional journey she’s undergone since a botched CoolSculpting procedure left her “brutally disfigured.”
In a new interview for Harper’s Bazaar’s Beauty Issue, the 90s fashion icon shared that she’s finally embracing her scars and reclaiming her confidence.
“There were a lot of surgeries. I’m cool. I’m fine with those. I won. I’m here. I won,” Evangelista said, referencing multiple corrective surgeries including a double mastectomy, keloid removal, and lung series. She also revealed she’s in therapy to help rebuild her self-esteem, saying, “I still don’t look in the mirror. I didn’t want to see myself because I didn’t love myself or like myself.”
Evangelista’s battle began after undergoing seven sessions of CoolSculpting from 2015 to 2016. She developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH)—a rare side effect where treated fat hardens and grows—leaving her with physical deformities in her abdomen, thighs, and underarms. She sued CoolSculpting’s parent company, Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc., for $50 million in 2022. The lawsuit was settled out of court.
Despite years of physical and emotional pain, Evangelista says she’s ready to focus on the future. “I don’t care how I age. I just want to age,” she said. “I’m finally getting comfortable with myself... and now I want to enjoy it.”
The supermodel’s story is resonating with fans and shining a spotlight on the risks of cosmetic procedures and the importance of self-acceptance.
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