Kate Upton Upset with Victoria’s Secret
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Photo by Tony Barson/FilmMagic(NEW YORK) — Supermodel Kate Upton is furious at Victoria’s Secret for using old photos of her after her relationship with the company had ended.
Upton, who has appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Vogue, is also in the latest Victoria’s Secret catalogue, but sources tell ABC News, “She’s not thrilled about the images being used.”
In fact, sources say she wasn’t even told she’d be featured.
The photo, taken in 2011, shows Upton in black lingerie when she was under contract with Victoria’s Secret. But that contract is over, as is their relationship, ever since a Victoria’s Secret model booker told the New York Times, “We would never use Kate. She’s like a footballer’s wife, with the too-blonde hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money could go out and buy.”
“Whether Victoria’s Secret owned the rights to this photo or not, it’s very unorthodox for a company to use a model in this explicit way without that model’s knowledge first,” Tony Case, executive editor of Adweek, told ABC News.
The 20-year-old quickly rose to fame after being discovered in 2008. And just three years later, landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated, about the same time she was working for Victoria’s Secret. But shortly thereafter, the lingerie giant reportedly branded her as too “obvious” for the runway and dropped her.
This leaves some wondering if she wasn’t good enough then, why is she good enough now?
“When those photos were taken two years ago, none of us really knew who Kate Upton was,” said Cynthia Bailey, CEO of the Bailey School of Fashion. “Now she’s a huge celebrity and if Victoria’s Secret owns those photos, it’s just good business for them to use them.”
ABC News reached out to both camps for comment, but neither side is talking.
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