People reports that model Sara Sampaio has added her voice to the growing number of women sharing their personal stories of sexual harassment—whether in Hollywood, the modeling industry, or their everyday lives—in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
The Victoria's Secret Angel alleges that Lui magazine, which is considered "the French Playboy," pressured her to pose nude in a recent photoshoot and used a picture where her nipples were accidentally exposed on the cover of its newest issue, in violation of her "no nudity" contract. Sampaio added that she plans to take legal action against the magazine with the help of her agency and lawyer. People reached out to Lui for a comment, but the magazine has not yet responded.
"Even with the 'No Nudity' clause in my agreement with Lui, I was aggressively pressured to do nude shots on set, asking me why I didn't want to show my nipples or go fully nude," 26-year-old Sampaio shared in an Instagram post.
"Throughout the shoot day, I needed to constantly defend myself and reiterate my boundaries with no nude images, making sure I covered myself as best as I could," she added.
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When she saw the photos taken, she noticed there were "accidental exposures with parts of my body I didn't want exposed," she continued. Sampaio says she told the magazine she didn't want those photos used.
The photo Lui ultimately used featured Sampaio wearing panties, no top, and a coat that was positioned so it revealed one of her nipples.
"Like so many models, I've had negative experiences in the past where I felt pressured to pose nude," she wrote, saying she'd been coerced by photographers or stylists who have seen her pose nude in the past. "I was bullied," she added.
The model added that she's "selective" when it comes to being exposed during photoshoots. "Just because I've consented to posing nude in the past, it does not give anyone the permission to assume I would do it again under any circumstance," she said.
"I feel violated, mistreated, and disrespected as a professional and as a woman.""What they did to me is unacceptable. I feel violated, mistreated, and disrespected as a professional and as a woman," Sampaio continued. "I want to do what I can to prevent this from happening to me again, and to others."
She concluded saying this kind of "bullying and abuse" is "systemic" in the modeling world, echoing '90s supermodel Christy Turlington Burns, who recently told WWD that "harassment and mistreatment have been widely known and tolerated in the industry."
"Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, and I am not alone," Sampaio wrote.
The model tagged her revealing post with #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse, a hashtag created by model Cameron Russell, who's been sharing anonymous stories of sexual harassment in the modeling industry on her Instagram profile.
Flip through below to see Sampaio's full statement on Instagram.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
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