Paulina Porizkova Speaks Out on Fashion Industry Harassment
Paulina Porizkova is opening up about her experiences in high fashion, highlighting some uncomfortable moments that defined her journey to fame. Now 60, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit icon detailed the rampant sexual harassment she claimed to face as a young model, stating that often the very people supposed to guide her career placed her in precarious situations.
In a recent video, Porizkova recounted starting her modeling career in Paris at the age of 15, during a summer break from school. “Every day, I would go on four to ten so-called ‘field trips,’” she explained, feeling quite lost navigating a new city alone, without knowledge of the language or local culture.
She revealed that while some meetings were professional, others took a disturbing turn. She described encountering, “well-dressed people in their offices,” and “middle-aged men who lived in messy apartments,” often wanting casual photos of her—sometimes topless. “I lost count of how many men greeted me in open-necked bathrobes in hotel rooms and apartments,” she shared.
Porizkova, who made history as the first Central European woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 1984, reflected on how her youthful naivety was exploited. She noted that these kinds of experiences were thought to be normal for supermodels, and many accepted them as a part of the job. “I took everything for granted,” she admitted, explaining her strategies for navigating unwanted advances while keeping her job secure.
It wasn’t until the 1990s, while watching an episode of Oprah discussing workplace harassment, that she recognized that her experiences constituted harassment. “I looked at my friend and asked, ‘Is that sexual harassment? I thought it was a compliment,’” she recalled, reflecting on her misunderstanding of the dynamics at play during her formative years in the industry.
Porizkova emphasized how easily children can be influenced and manipulated in such high-pressure environments. “If adults tell you this is how it is, who are you to protest?” she questioned, pinpointing how children can become prime targets in these situations. She added that recognizing the innocence of youth is crucial in understanding their vulnerabilities.
Not one to shy away from speaking her truth, Porizkova has been vocal on social media, attaching hashtags related to high-profile cases of abuse to her posts, such as “#Epstein” and “#Justice.”
With a career spanning over four decades, Porizkova has not only graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 11 times but also served as a judge on “America’s Next Top Model.” Her literary pursuits include her debut novel, “A Model Summer,” released in 2007, and more recently, her candid nonfiction work, “No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful,” which came out in 2022.
