Linda Evangelista, who reached the height of her supermodel popularity in the 1990s, said Wednesday that she has been “brutally disfigured” by a procedure intended to remove fat. Instead, she claimed, the opposite happened, leaving the former fashion star a “recluse” who is “permanently deformed.”
In an Instagram post she said the development “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.”
Evangelista, known in part for Vogue magazine covers and George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video, said she developed a condition called “paradoxical adipose hyperplasia” and appeared to accuse Zeltiq’s CoolSculpting of not warning her about the risk.
In 2017, the National Institutes of Health described the growth of fat cells from the Cryolipolysis “fat freezing” technique as “possibly higher” in incidence than the “rare adverse effect” it was previously described as.
Evangelista, 56, wrote that she has had two unsuccessful surgeries to correct the problem and was moving forward with a lawsuit.
“I’m so tired of living this way. I would like to walk out my door with my head held high, despite not looking like myself any longer,” she wrote.
Zeltiq, acquired by Allergan, described CoolSculpting as an FDA-cleared treatment for “visible fat bulges in the submental (under the chin) and submandibular (under the jawline) areas, thigh, abdomen, and flank, along with bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks (also known as banana roll), and upper arm.”
HuffPost did not immediately hear back from Allergan in a request for comment.
