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Former fashion icon Linda Evangelista–who was a prominent supermodel during the 1990s–broke her years-long silence to spread awareness and reclaim herself as a person after she said a popular cosmetic procedure called CoolSculpting left her "permanently deformed" and "brutally disfigured."
CoolSculpting is described as a popular, FDA-approved "fat-freezing" procedure that was marketed as a "noninvasive alternative to liposuction."
Evangelista claimed after seven sessions of CoolSculpting in a dermatologist's office from August 2015 to February 2016, it led to her diagnosis of Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH).
PAH is a rare side effect affecting less than 1% of CoolSculpting patients.
The affected fatty tissue hardens and increases in size rather than shrinking.
Linda Evangelista is one of the most recognizable supermodels of all time, but for years she\u2019s been hiding from the public eye after she says she was left disfigured by a popular cosmetic treatment. @EmilieIkedaNBC reports.pic.twitter.com/JtM2zyEFeH— TODAY (@TODAY) 1645020176
In an interview with People, the 56-year-old–who was highly regarded by fashion industry icons like the late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld and renowned photographer Steven Meisel–opened up about the emotional and physical pain she endured in recent years from CoolSculpting.
"I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know," she said.
Her statement is especially heartbreaking considering she graced over 700 magazine covers throughout the course of her career and was regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time.
Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour–who put Evangelista on the cover of the iconic fashion magazine 11 times–told the media outlet:
"No model was more super than Linda."
Regarding her trauma, Evangelista added:
"I can't live like this anymore, in hiding and shame. I just couldn't live in this pain any longer. I'm willing to finally speak."
I went ahead & I read the article. What happened to her was horrible & it\u2019s still affecting her. It is not what you see on this cover, it\u2019s the disfigurement of her body, just for a liposuction with the special freezing procedure that was very popular on the 2010s. I sympathize.— Nadi\u00e6 \ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f (@Nadi\u00e6 \ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f) 1645048551
I've never heard of this kind of surgery or PAH before. To have the fatty tissues harden to the point that she can chafe and almost bleed if her thighs rub together for long periods of time sounds awful. Thank you for sharing with us. I'm sorry this is something that happens.— a l a n a\u2077 \u27ed\u27ec \u1d47\u02e1\u1d50.\u02e2\u1d43\u02b0 \ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddec\ud83d\udc9c hobiuary~ \ud83d\udc3f\ufe0f\ud83c\udf82 (@a l a n a\u2077 \u27ed\u27ec \u1d47\u02e1\u1d50.\u02e2\u1d43\u02b0 \ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddec\ud83d\udc9c hobiuary~ \ud83d\udc3f\ufe0f\ud83c\udf82) 1645026432
So glad she identified the company by name. \n\nCoolSculpting says this happens in less than 1% of all of their procedures. With 11 million total procedures performed, this means up to 110,000 procedures have this outcome— abigailflannery (@abigailflannery) 1645065530
In September, she filed a lawsuit against CoolSculpting's parent company, Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc. for $50 million–alleging she developed PAH after undergoing seven sessions of CoolSculpting.
Within three months of treatment, Evangelista said she noticed bulges at her chin, thighs, and bra area. These were the very same areas she was trying to shrink, but instead, she noticed they were increasing in size and eventually becoming numb.
"I tried to fix it myself, thinking I was doing something wrong," recalled Evangelista.
So she began dieting and exercising frequently but her efforts yielded no positive results.
"I got to where I wasn't eating at all. I thought I was losing my mind."
Evangelista found out about her diagnosis after a doctor's visit in June 2016.
"I dropped my robe for him. I was bawling, and I said, 'I haven't eaten, I'm starving. What am I doing wrong?' "
After hearing her PAH diagnosis, she recalled:
"I was like, 'What the hell is that?' And he told me no amount of dieting, and no amount of exercise was ever going to fix it."
Dr. Alan Matarasso–a New York City plastic surgeon and professor at Northwell School of Medicine, who never treated Evangelista–told the media outlet:
"That's the upsetting part. Patients go in to have something reduced, and now it's enlarged."
"And the problem with PAH is that, in some instances, it may not go away. In many circumstances, the affected areas are no longer amenable to liposuction like they would've been in the first place."
The companies offering these procedures are advertising AGRESSIVELY where I live and I honestly hope more people realize how risky these procedures are. I feel SO bad for anyone still . She's still beautiful and her desire to help others is noble. I wish her all the best.— Reluctant HuCow (Hiatus Intensifies) (@Reluctant HuCow (Hiatus Intensifies)) 1645073977
When her doctor contacted CoolSculpting about her PAH, Evangelista claimed they offered to pay for her liposuction to correct the PAH damage, but under the condition she sign a confidentiality agreement.
She refused and went ahead to pay for the liposuction herself.
After the surgery, she was informed to wear compression garments, girdles, and a chin strap for eight weeks, otherwise "the PAH may come back."
And after having a second liposuction surgery in July 2017, the PAH did come back.
"It wasn't even a little bit better," she said.
"The bulges are protrusions. And they're hard. If I walk without a girdle in a dress, I will have chafing to the point of almost bleeding. Because it's not like soft fat rubbing, it's like hard fat rubbing."
Linda will always be a legend. Definitely the best supermodel ever and one of the most beautiful women to grace the catwalk or cover of a magazine. My sympathy goes out to her. I hope she can adjust to her new reality. She still looks beautiful.— harley2018 (@harley2018) 1645027087
Evangelista also said her posture was affected because she was no longer able to "put my arms flat along my side. I don't think designers are going to want to dress me with that."
This goddess is still the most gorgeous person I know, She aged people but still the same, appearance is not for a lifetime but your moral is, people tend to not knew that because their probably jealous of her or just want to say a hate reply— naninxo*:\u0f05\uff61 (@naninxo*:\u0f05\uff61) 1645060273
She added:
"I don't look in the mirror. It doesn't look like me."
In sharing her traumatic experience, Evangelista hopes to provide some comfort to those who are suffering from a similar situation.
God bless Linda Evangelista. I had considered CoolSculpting but would never in a million years do it now. She is saving so many people from her fate. I don\u2019t believe the incidence of PAH is 1%. It\u2019s likely much higher. Linda shouldn\u2019t hide anymore! She is beautiful.— Ms_Pistolicious (@Ms_Pistolicious) 1645038871
Thank you so much, Linda, for sharing your Journey. It means a LOT. Your bravery in bringing this out publicly makes you a heroine in my mind! I too have struggled through physical adversity, sharing helps. May you be blessed with better health and healing going forward!— Jeannie K, HBIC, Goddess Emeritus (@Jeannie K, HBIC, Goddess Emeritus) 1645068481
This was an incredibly brave thing to do. Not many woman of your stature would be so brave !! People need to know that some of these plastic surgery/Botox, etc are actually dangerous !! For the record you are still one of the most beautiful woman in the world and the bravest !— Amanda Franz (@Amanda Franz) 1645029159
"I hope I can shed myself of some of the shame and help other people who are in the same situation as me," she says. "That's my goal."