Linda Evangelista on Botched CoolSculpting, Botox and More: ‘I Still Don’t Look in the Mirror’

Linda Evangelista, one of the most iconic supermodels of the 1990s (and ever), is opening up about embracing her natural beauty after undergoing botched surgical and cosmetic procedures.

In a revealing interview for the cover of Harper’s Bazaar‘s Beauty Issue, published on Thursday, April 24, Evangelista, 59, discussed the emotional toll of a traumatic CoolSculpting experience in 2021.

The non-surgical treatment, which uses cooling to “freeze and eliminate fat cells” in specific areas of the body, caused Evangelista’s fat cells not only to increase but also to harden around her abdomen, between her thighs, and under each armpit.

“I have to go through therapy to like what I see when I look in the mirror, and I still don’t look in the mirror,” she confessed, underscoring the profound impact on her self-image. “I didn’t want to see myself because I didn’t love myself or like myself.”

This candid admission highlighted the vulnerability that even the most celebrated figures can face when confronted with unexpected changes to their physical appearance. Women of a certain age, and famous faces, in particular, like Evangelista, feel more pressure to meet society’s unrealistic beauty standards as they get older.

While Evangelista told the publication that she still receives Botox injections, she is evolving her beauty philosophy, which means dissolving all her facial fillers. The reasoning was simple yet powerful: “I wasn’t looking like me,” she said.

This decision underscored her desire to reclaim her authentic features and move away from artificial enhancements. Evangelista’s journey, as revealed in the recent interview, is not just about accepting her current appearance, but also about actively working towards self-love.

“I’m doing the work, and I’m trying to get to the place where I like myself, flaws and all, and trying to love myself,” she affirmed, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the healing process.

As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Evangelista’s perspective on aging is further shaped by a deep appreciation for life itself. “I don’t care how I age. I just want to age. It doesn’t have to be graceful,” she declared.

“My double mastectomy, I’m fine with it,” she told the publications. “I did put in very small implants. What they took out, I put in, cc-wise. I’ve had all those lung surgeries, oh my God, and my keloids and all the chest-tube scars and my C-section scar. There were a lot of surgeries. I’m cool. I’m fine with those. I won. I’m here. I won.”

Evangelista’s candidness also extended to her motivations for this shift in perspective. “I really, really, really don’t want to die,” she stated plainly, highlighting a fundamental desire to experience more of life. “I still have so much to do. I’m finally getting comfortable with myself and with everything, and now I want to enjoy it.”

“I’m alive. I’m alive. I’m alive, and I’m going to do what I have to do,” she said. “I’m going to fight because I don’t want it any other way. I’m not done.”