In 2016, Linda Evangelista planned to have a standard fat-shrinking procedure called CoolSculpting, but the results were drastically different than anticipated.
Rather than the fat cells shrinking, the cells expanded— causing specific areas on her body to grow large, hard, fatty areas.
After she realized what was happening, she tried to fix it with diet and exercise before a doctor finally diagnosed her with Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia, or PAH, which cannot be fixed with dieting and exercise.
Linda attempted to have the issue corrected with liposuction surgery. However, the PAH came back.
For years, Linda stayed out of the spotlight. She revealed that her condition impacted her work caused her to isolate herself, and put her into a deep depression.
Linda expressed that she was pursuing legal ramifications and filed a lawsuit against the company that did the procedure, Zeltiq, as she alleges no one told her about the risk of PAH.
For the first time since the procedure, Linda is returning to the runway in September for a Fendi fashion show.
Linda Evangelista modeling for the first time in over five years
Sharing the announcement on her Instagram, Linda wrote, “On September 9, 2022 [Fendi] will host a special fashion show in New York City to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the [Fendi Bacguette], designed by [Silvia Venturini Fendi], and two years since [Kim Jones] joined the Maison as Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear.”
The snapshot shared shows Linda dressed in stacked Fendi attire, including several hats and at least two purses.
She shared the post with her 1.2 million followers and has gained over 41,000 likes since it was posted.
Meanwhile, Linda is still working through her lawsuit against Zeltiq and working on feeling at home in her body again.
Linda Evangelista opens up about CoolSculpting disfigurement
Earlier this year, Linda opened up about the issues she experienced after her CoolSculpting procedure and how it caused her emotional and physical pain.
She claims the popular “fat-freezing” procedure made her body “permanently deformed” and “brutally disfigured.” The treatment is FDA-approved, but it does not come without risks— risks she claims she was never warned about.
Linda said within about three months of her treatments, the treated areas around her chin, thighs, and bra area began to bulge and grow rather than shrink. They also hardened and became numb.
Reportedly, PAH is very rare and affects less than 1% of patients, but there is still a risk that the freezing process could cause fatty tissue to thicken and expand.
Zeltiq allegedly offered to pay for Linda to have liposuction to try to repair the affected areas, but for them to pay for it, they wanted to choose the specialist and have her sign a confidentiality agreement, which she refused and paid for the liposuction herself. Regardless, it did not work.
Linda revealed, “The bulges are protrusions. And they’re hard. If I walk without a girdle in a dress, I will have chafing to the point of almost bleeding. Because it’s not like soft fat rubbing, it’s like hard fat rubbing.”
She added that she can’t “put my arms flat along my side. I don’t think designers are going to want to dress me with that sticking out of my body.” The area on her arm reportedly has a rectangular shape.
“I don’t look in the mirror. It doesn’t look like me.”