Linda Evangelista is finally catching her breath and letting go of the trauma of her botched cosmetic procedure.
The iconic model shared the great news to fans, letting them know that she has settled her lawsuit against CoolSculpting and is moving forward.
Linda Evangelista Settles Lawsuit Against CoolSculpting
On Tuesday, Evangelista took to Instagram to break the good news via a statement that read, “I’m pleased to have settled the CoolSculpting case,” the supermodel, 57, wrote.
She continued, “I look forward to the next chapter of my life with friends and family and am happy to put this matter behind me. I am truly grateful for the support I have received from those who have reached out.”
The “Catwalk” actress first spoke up about her botched cosmetic procedure with CoolSculpting in September 2021 via a lengthy statement on Instagram.
“Today I took a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years,” she began. “To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers’ careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltiq’s CoolSculpting procedure which did the opposite of what it promised.”
The Canadian native alleged that the procedure “increased” her fat cells instead of decreasing them, and in the process left her “permanently deformed even after two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries.”
Evangelista revealed that she was diagnosed with Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia or PAH, a risk she wasn’t told about before she agreed to the procedure.
“PAH has not only destroyed my livelihood, it has sent me into a cycle of deep depression, profound sadness, and the lowest depths of self-loathing. In the process, I have become a recluse,” Evangelista continued.
She then announced that she was suing the company as a means of “moving forward to rid myself of my shame, and going public with my story. I am so tired of living this way.”
True to her word, Evangelista filed a $50 million lawsuit against Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc., the parent company of CoolSculpting, accusing them of causing her “pain and suffering, severe emotional distress and mental anguish.”
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She also claimed to have endured “economic losses” as a result of being “unable to earn an income as a model.”
The ‘Unzipped Thanks’ Star Was Done Hiding
About six months after first sharing her story, Evangelista came out of her hiding and published photos of her body in an exclusive with People Magazine.
The 57-year-old shared her story in detail and how the botched procedure has negatively affected her life to a large extent.
I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know,” she said through tears “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.”
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Evangelista narrated how she began noticing hardened bulges at her chin, thighs, and bra area which then turned numb. She believed she was doing something wrong and began dieting to the point that she was starving.
“I got to where I wasn’t eating at all. I thought I was losing my mind,” she lamented. When she went to a doctor, she was then diagnosed with PAH and told nothing could be done to fix it.
“I don’t recognize myself physically, but I don’t recognize me as a person any longer either. She [Linda Evangelista the supermodel] is sort of gone.”
Evangelista Is Back To Modeling!
It’s been almost 10 months since Evangelista first shared the story of her horrific cosmetic experience but she has managed to rise above the trauma.
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As The Blast reported earlier this week, the Canadian supermodel made her triumphant return to modeling with a luxury Fendi campaign in honor of the 25th anniversary of the #FendiBaguette.
She took to Instagram to share photos of the campaign. Evangelista looked glamorous in a gorgeous grey turtle neck sweater with a flap at the chest area.
She had a stack of stylish hats placed on her head while rocking cat-eye sunglasses and showing off the luxury brand’s handbags.
A source close to Evangelista revealed that the Fendi campaign couldn’t have come at a better time. The insider noted, “With this settled and the recent Fendi ad campaign, Linda is ready to try to move on. After literally years of hiding, she’s out and about.”
The source added, “She feels all the goodwill from her industry, other supermodels and her fans, and it makes her feel loved.”
