In the 90s, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista were paid simply to attend events. It was Linda who was credited with the quote, “I won’t get out of bed for less than $10,000.” The girl had to justify the arrogant phrase until it ceased to correspond to reality.
On May 10, 1965, Linda Evangelista was born in the Canadian town of St. Catharines. The girl from a family of Italian immigrants was a universal favorite, although it was difficult to call her an exemplary child. Linda had no desire to study well, and once after a parent-teacher meeting she told her mother that the issue of expulsion from school did not bother her.
Whether or not Evangelist was showing youthful maximalism, the girl declared that she would become either a cook, a nun, or a model. Apparently, her mother was most attracted to the latter – the woman persistently took her daughter to castings, where she constantly heard that tall, awkward Linda was not suitable for agencies. Everything changed when the brunette managed to sign a contract with a local department store chain, and then win the Miss Niagara contest.
Finally, the girl with the cat-like eyes caught the attention of the New York agency “Elite”. Linda moved to the USA, where she began to rapidly build a career. But did success on the catwalk bring personal happiness? About the other side of Evangelista’s fame – in our material.
A model with a twist
At first, long, thick hair gave Linda the opportunity to advertise shampoos and conditioners. However, photographer Peter Lindbergh persuaded the girl to get a short haircut, which was considered innovative in the 80s. Evangelista risked losing contracts, but she still trusted Peter. And she was right, although at first she lost an invitation to a show in Milan.
Soon the “trick” was appreciated by photographers, agents and advertisers, and later Linda also decided to experiment with her hair color, changing it 17 times in five years. Evangelista’s fees increased fourfold, but later her haircut began to be copied by anyone and everyone, which greatly irritated the model who was striving for individuality.
Linda’s first iconic shoot was a photo shoot for Vogue in 1989, after which Peter Lindbergh took legendary pictures of Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Evangelista in casual looks, unusual for the heavy luxury of that time.
Evangelista’s personal breakthrough came with John Galliano’s 1994 show, where she appeared as a bride in the finale, which caused a sensation. The couturier gave the legendary dress to the model, and in 2018 she donated the outfit to the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute.
The supermodel collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld, who considered her the most professional model, the brands Calvin Klein, Chanel, Chloé, Versace, starred in George Michael’s videos Freedom and Too Funky. Linda was welcome at any event, but in 2016 she unexpectedly interrupted her career and stopped going out. Evangelista was involved in charity, raising millions to fight HIV and cancer, and she only told about the reasons for her seclusion in 2021…
Broken heart
As a young and inexperienced girl, Linda fell in love with the director of the European branch of Elite Model Management, Gerald Marie. A man 15 years older became the model’s husband, but not as ideal as she dreamed. The girl was subjected to moral pressure and beatings during the five years of marriage, but those around her did not suspect it.
“He didn’t touch my face just because it brought in money. I married him when I was 22 and divorced him when I was 27, and he let me go on the condition that he would get everything. But I was safe and free,” the supermodel admitted years later.
But that’s not all: Since the ’80s, Gerald had been raping, molesting, and manipulating other young models at the agency, unbeknownst to Linda. The girls kept quiet about Marie’s crimes for decades, fearing the condemnation of society and the threats of a powerful man.
“During my relationship with Gerald Marie, I knew nothing about these sexual allegations against him, so I was unable to help these women. Listening to the alleged victims now and based on my own experience, I believe they are telling the truth. It breaks my heart because these are wounds that may never heal, and I admire their courage and strength,” Linda emphasized.
Later, the model had a short affair with George Michael, and then a relationship with Kyle MacLachlan, known for his role as Agent Cooper in Twin Peaks. At first, the model and the actor met in hotels to avoid publicity, and when the relationship became serious, they moved in with Linda. Despite the engagement in 1995, the wedding never took place – Evangelista left the artist for a new love.
The “homewrecker” turned out to be footballer Fabien Barthez, for whom the model was ready to quit the catwalk and become a mother. However, in the sixth month of pregnancy, Linda suffered a miscarriage, which undermined and destroyed her relationship with the athlete. She tried to find consolation in an affair with billionaire François-Henri Pinault, but he soon traded the model for Salma Hayek. Almost simultaneously, the actress and Evangelista gave birth to children from Pinault. In 2012, our heroine made public the name of the father of her son Augustin James and sued him for fabulous alimony.
Cancer and complications after plastic surgery
After the story with Pino, Linda dated billionaire Peter Morton, but this union did not lead to a happy marriage either. The model did not talk about further affairs, and basically retreated into the shadows: as it turned out, in recent years she was not at all up to romances.
Let’s start with the fact that her son, born in 2006, suffered from sensory processing disorder, a rare genetic disorder that meant the child could not actually chew food. The model raised the baby alone and could not leave him for long, so that period turned out to be very difficult.
The difficulties did not end there: in 2016, Linda decided to undergo a cryolipolysis procedure, which did not lead to weight loss, but to the opposite result. Evangelista was among the 1% of people who experienced a side effect of CoolSculpting – paradoxical fatty hyperplasia, which is impossible to get rid of.
“After liposuction, nothing changed. The fat bulges on my body remained. If I walk around in a dress without a special belt, I will have chafing almost to the point of bleeding. Because it does not look like normal fat deposits. I cannot press my arms to my sides because of the chafing. I doubt that any designer would want to dress such a model,” Linda revealed the reason for her disappearance from the radar a couple of years ago.
I would like to say that hyperplasia was Linda’s only health problem, but in 2018 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The model agreed to a bilateral mastectomy, but in 2022 the disease returned. After chemotherapy, Evangelista realized that the fear of relapse will never leave her. “I have one foot in the grave, so I’m happy for every day I’ve lived. I’m so glad I’m alive. Everything that’s happening now is a bonus,” the celebrity summed up.
Due to a weakened immune system, Linda began to get sick easily, and without noticing it, it turned into a panic fear of germs and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nevertheless, the model tries to find positives in every day and shares her experiences with others, hoping that her experience will help someone. “I want to grow old, I want to see my son grow up to be a wonderful young man,” Evangelista said about her main priorities.
