Famous Models Who Don't Look Anything Like They Used To

Look, unless you're a judge on "America's Next Top Model," no one has the right to judge a person's looks. So, that's not what this particular article is about. On the contrary, this piece lists some of the famous models around the world whose appearances have drastically changed over the years. And the switch doesn't just have to do with obvious reasons like age. We're talking about models having a different look because of other causes, with some of those causes being fairly common and others quite unique. Plus, some of the reasons these models look different have to do with certain choices they've made in their careers.

Singapore model Glenda Narulla is a good example because she took on another look after shaving her head bald. And even though it can be a real career killer, plastic surgery remains popular among those who spend a lot of time in front of cameras. So again, it's not just Father Time that causes a major shift in appearance in the modeling world; it's other things. What are some of those other things you might ask? Well, just keep on reading and that question will soon be answered.

By her own admission, Linda Evangelista looks much different than she did at the height of her career in the '80s and '90s when she was one of the most famous models on earth. She's also admitted to feeling different on the inside compared to years prior. As a result, Evangelista has chosen to stay out of the spotlight in recent years, revealing that she's been plagued with sadness and embarrassment. So, what caused the one-time in-demand supermodel to keep such a low profile? A procedure called CoolSculpting, which is "a noninvasive, nonsurgical medical procedure that is purported to remove extra fat cells from beneath the skin," as Healthline describes it.

After getting the procedure, Evangelista was diagnosed with paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, or PAH, a rare side effect associated with CoolSculpting. ScienceDaily says the areas that PAH patients seek to treat actually become "larger rather than smaller in the weeks after the procedure, leaving a painless, visibly enlarged, firm, well-demarcated mass under the skin." Evangelista spoke with People about CoolSculpting, explaining that she had it done seven times between August 2015 and February 2016. Eventually, she saw that her thighs, chin, and the area under her arms become much larger.

"I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know," Evangelista told People, five months after first revealing her condition on Instagram. "I can't live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. ... I'm willing to finally speak."

If you look at the many Vogue covers that Janice Dickinson has graced in her career, it's night and day compared to what she looked like many years later. And the change has nothing to do with the subjective concept of beauty or a bunch of time passing by. The basic difference has to do with Dickinson getting a good deal of cosmetic surgery over the years, which she's opened up about several times. Like in 2014, when she told In Touch, "I live for plastic surgery. "

In fact, Dickinson had so many cosmetic procedures done, it was part of the reason that she filed for bankruptcy at one point. "[I dealt with] press whore doctors that offered to give me Botox and fix my teeth for free and then slapped me with bills," she explained to In Touch.

But ironically, in a 2014 interview with Radar, the woman who has called herself the world's "first supermodel" said that she can take or leave getting cosmetic surgery. "People everywhere seem to think I'm addicted to plastic surgery, but the true people that know me are my fiancé and thousands of young girls that I've helped through my book," Dickinson stated ahead of her appearance on an episode of the plastic surgery reality series "Botched." So, there you go, folks.

With a lot of models, it's safe to say they consider shedding a few pounds a victory. Maggie Greene, however, celebrated after gaining some weight. She put on 30 pounds, in fact, after struggling with weight issues. In January of 2018, the self-described "Tennessee girl" wrote an article for Harper's Bazaar about gaining the weight and posted a side-by-side photo of herself on Instagram around the same time.

"I stumbled upon the picture on the left and felt like I should share because it's so near and dear to my heart," wrote Greene in that Instagram post. "The picture on the left was taken two years ago this month, and the picture on the right was taken a few weeks ago. ... Two years ago, I was seriously unhappy. I would look in the mirror and think I looked fat.  ... I'd sit at home and cry because I felt like I couldn't eat anything. It was the lowest point for me, but I wanted to be a model so bad. I wanted to be glamorized for being so thin even though I was miserable."

One reason Greene gained the weight was that she was signed to modeling agency Wilhelmina's Curve division, so she had to be heavier. The other reason had to do with her happiness. She was neglecting her social life to avoid being around food and told Today in 2018 that she felt "defeated." "It truly was a breakdown to breakthrough," Greene described. "I was miserable restricting my diet and counting every calorie."

One could argue that Kate Moss influenced a certain look within high fashion modeling in the '90s. Plus, by just hearing her name, one may get an image of someone having a super-thin frame. Put it like this: A lot of reporters during Moss' heyday commonly used the term "waif" to describe her appearance, but eventually, that word would no longer apply. That's because she was seen looking fuller-figured in a photo that was published by The Sun in 2018. Moss was vacationing in Saint Tropez at the time with her daughter Lila and boyfriend Nikolai von Bismarck.

And four years before that photo surfaced, Moss spoke about her younger, skinnier self in an interview with Elle, saying, "I think I was just really young and thin. That's what happens. I mean my daughter's tiny. I was working and in fashion, back in the day, they didn't feed you." In a 2003 interview with SHOWstudio, Moss claimed that she never dieted until after her daughter was born.

While she didn't fret over gaining weight, Moss told The Guardian that there were points in her modeling career when she worried that she looked too thin, and her advice to aspiring models is not to strive for the "waif" look, but to help keep the industry more diverse. "You have to be yourself, as models come in all sorts of shapes and sizes," she pointed out, per SHOWstudio.

Rosie Mercado lost almost 240 pounds, which the model, life coach, and TV personality talked to TMZ about in 2016. During the brief chat, Mercado gushed over how happy she was about losing the weight but revealed that others didn't share in her excitement. She said many of her detractors were "fat activists" who, in her opinion, misunderstood what she was trying to accomplish with her new lifestyle.

"There was a group of people that resented that I was losing weight because they thought that diet equals being size zero," Mercado explained. "I got hate mail. Not so much from the other [plus] size models but just fans ... They told me to go jump off a bridge and kill myself for losing weight." Mercado also said that some of the backlash was because she shared her weight loss journey on social media.

Nevertheless, the former "Face The Truth" co-host was able to shake off the hate and continue with her new lifestyle and career. One time, Mercado talked about getting a gastric sleeve in 2015 and how she finally arrived at that decision. "I thought, 'I'm so dedicated, I'm doing this,'" she told Us Weekly in 2018. "'I'm sick and tired of the same thing. I'm making this decision and I'm changing my life.' And it was the best decision of my life."

"The giant looks in the mirror and sees nothing." 

That's an old saying that got attention after Donda West, Kanye West's late mother, uttered those words in the Netflix documentary "Jeen-Yuhs," per Vanity Fair. One could interpret them to mean, regardless of how most are probably in awe of a giant's size and unique ability, the giant doesn't view himself as anything special.

More than likely, Kris Smith could relate to that saying, because long before he became a professional rugby player, then a ripped model, he was an overweight child. And even though he's known for having a chiseled physique, it's hard for him to see his body in a positive light. That mainly has to do with the Australian transplant being teased about his weight by classmates in his younger years. "When I walk down the catwalk for Myer in Speedos, I'm still that fat kid," he said in an interview with New Idea, according to the Daily Mail.

Smith then mirrored those words in a 2022 interview with Body+Soul while talking about the type of modeling work that he doesn't like. "I'm not comfortable shirtless," he admitted. "Learning to love the skin you're in is a constant battle for me." While he has struggled with lifelong body image issues, he's working to make sure that his children don't have the same experience, saying, "My priority is to show that 'healthy' is the best-looking body you can have — and that's different for everyone."

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the spotlight was shining bright on former model and dancer Suzy Pérez. She reportedly danced for Jennifer Lopez, as well as Reggaetón artist Daddy Yankee. She appeared in several music videos, on top of that, including the visuals to Canadian singer Glenn Lewis' song "Back For More." Sadly, however, Pérez's career in entertainment ended abruptly, and according to a Univision report translated with Google Translate, she became addicted to drugs. As of 2019, she was living in the streets of New York City and looked nothing like she did in her TV and modeling days. She explained that her troubles started when she took the loss of her mother especially hard, and she said that she became disabled after being beaten up.

In 2019, Univision released a video that shows Pérez reuniting with her child, Senna Celestino, who she lost custody of. Senna said that they'd been giving Pérez money to help her out, but learned that she'd been using it to buy drugs. Per Mamás Latinas, Senna started a GoFundMe page to help their mom, and there was an effort to take her to rehab. Pérez was showing progress and looked healthier and happier in images posted to an Instagram account she created in 2020. Sadly, later that year, Senna shared a since-deleted update on Twitter saying that Pérez was refusing help and had chosen to live on the streets, where she used money from fans to purchase drugs, per Distractify. 

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).

In a photo that accompanied a 2016 Vogue interview, Swiss model Tamy Glauser sported short black hair, which fit the androgynous look that they have become famous for. In 2021, however, they looked entirely different in an Instagram photo, rocking long locks with highlights. Glauser has modeled both men's and women's clothing, so the different looks shouldn't be all that surprising. But their shifting appearance does make them an ideal fit for this list. Plus, their versatility as a model should be highlighted and celebrated, which isn't something that some in the womenswear industry thought early in Glauser's career. When the model was rocking a buzz cut before it was considered trendy, they recalled people not knowing what to do with them simply because they didn't have hair.

They once spoke to The Brander about having the option to model as a man or woman and revealed which is easier for them to do. "I have to work to put myself into a woman's mindset to be able to express the movements authentically," Glauser explained. "With the guys, it just kind of happens naturally." In 2021, Glauser shared another pic of themself with hair that falls way beneath their shoulders, which again, is a far different look for them compared to yesteryear.

"It's like a car ... If you get a scratch or a dent, you fix it, and that's how I feel with my body."

That's what British reality star and former model Katie Price once said about getting cosmetic surgery, according to The Scottish Sun. Over the years, she's gotten full body liposuction, more than one breast enhancement procedure, a Brazilian butt lift, liposuction beneath her chin, and veneers, per The U.S. Sun. In fact, Price once shared a video on YouTube that showed her regular teeth looking pretty much nonexistent after they had to be shaved down so her new teeth could fit. Fans (and British tabloids) have been calling the 2015 "Celebrity Big Brother" winner "unrecognizable" compared to when she appeared as "Jordan" on The Sun's Page 3 back in the day.

Price spoke about the surgeries she's received on "Steph's Packed Lunch" in 2021, revealing that she got her first breast augmentation as a teen. "I was 18 and when I look back, it's too young. I think you should wait until 21," said Price (via the Daily Mail). "I had no idea what Botox was or fillers. The first time I had Botox I was about 27, 28. They didn't have social media when I started. I try to say to girls, 'I started my career with no airbrushing, no filters, it was how it was.'"

When Renee Alway competed on "America's Next Top Model" in 2007, she appeared as a youthful-looking blonde who wouldn't seem out of place on a catwalk or magazine cover. But in a 2013 mugshot, the only part recognizable in Alway's appearance was her blue eyes. Sadly, beneath those baby blues were red bruises, which sat closely next to other marks on her face.

Alway — who came in third place on the show — became addicted to drugs after "ANTM" ended. She was then arrested in Palm Springs, California, after being found in a vacant house carrying a gun, which TMZ reported at the time. Alway was charged with suspicion of burglary, possession of narcotics, carrying counterfeit money, and other crimes. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison but got out in 2018, after serving five at California Institution for Women in Chino, California. But the former model was arrested again in 2019 for domestic violence, according to a 2019 TMZ report. 

"It was just closed door, after closed door, after closed door. And that was really hard to take," Alway told ABC News in 2013 about what led to her drug use. "I felt like a failure because I couldn't get past the reality TV stigma that had been put on me."