Blonde bombshell Kate Upton has had quite the year. The 20-year-old Florida native burst onto the scene with a prime spot on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Now the swimsuit model is appearing nude in Contributor magazine. The shots - captured by photographer Yu Tsai - show Upton trying to capture the high-scale fashion look of magazine editorials. The photos look nothing like the Upton we've come to know.
And who is the Upton we know? We're used to her skimpy, barely-there bikinis, but it seems like she's a girl without a real identity. Guys love her; the fashion industry seems to hate her. It's safe to say she's had a triumphant and challenging year, judging from these incidents.
Victoria's Secret Diss
It seems like Upton would be a natural pick to join Giselle Bundchen and Miranda Kerr as a Victoria's Secret Angel, but one casting director doesn't think she has the chops.
"She's like a Page 3 girl," Sophia Neophitou told the New York Times in February. "She's like a footballer's wife, with the too-blond hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy."
Ouch. Upton took the diss in stride, though. "Well, 'football player's wife'… Gisele's a football player's wife - I'm OK! Gisele's in that category, I'm good," she joked to Access Hollywood, adding that she wasn't offended by Neophitou's words.
Jiggly Cat Daddy
How many models can say their videos were pulled from YouTube for being indecent? Upton can: Her "Cat Daddy" dance for photographer and creepazoid Terry Richardson was pulled from the site for a time, mostly because of her barely-there bikini.
Pay to Play
The Met Gala is the event for fashion and Hollywood elite, complete with elaborate couture gowns. Most celebrities get in for free, but Upton reportedly had to shell out $25,000 for a ticket, just like the rest of the plebians.
"She told Anna she would really like to attend," a source told the New York Post at the time. "Then she offered to pay for her own ticket. Kate then whipped out her checkbook and paid the $25,000 for her seat. Anna took the check on the spot."
Too Fat to Model
Most recently, Upton was cruelly criticized by a writer for a "pro ana" website. In the post, the writer said she was way too fat to be wearing a bikini.
"Huge thighs, NO waist, big fat floppy boobs, terrible body definition -- she looks like a squishy brick. Is this what American women are 'striving' for now? The lazy, lardy look?" the writer blogged. "Have we really gotten so fat in this country that Kate is the best we can aim for? Sorry, but: eww!"
The writer obviously has problems with her own body. However, Upton wasn't offended by that, either.
"I'm not going to starve just to be thin. I want to enjoy life and I can't if I'm not eating and miserable," she reportedly said of the outcry.
One thing's for sure: Kate Upton has thick skin. Will that help her land a career in the modeling industry for the long haul? Stay tuned.
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