Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio has said she felt “violated” after a French magazine published topless photos of her.
The catwalk star said she had signed a no-nudity agreement before the revealing picture was used on the cover of the publication Lui last year.
She told digital magazine PorterEdit: “I’m fine with nudity. I have done nudity in the past, but I don’t do nudity for men’s magazines.
“I can suggest nudity, but I don’t want to show my boobs to a men’s magazine.”
She added: “I felt violated. Now every time I’m on a set, do I have to delete the photos to make sure nobody uses them?”
The model had already spoken out about the experience on Instagram, saying: “I want every model and every woman to know they have a right to make their own choices about their body and image.”
Sampaio added that even though modelling is one of the rare industries where women earn more than men, there are still many situations where models “are still not respected” or listened to on set.
She said: “Models are expected to show up on set, just be pretty, do our job and not say a word.
“When we do open our mouths, we’re branded as difficult, opinionated, troublemakers; we are told that we don’t know what we are talking about. We are still exploited.”
She said that the fear of losing out on work also keep models quiet, continuing: “It’s such a disposable industry that girls feel like they can’t say anything, because there will be some other girl out there who will just do it.”
Sampaio also defended Victoria’s Secret’s annual fashion show against allegations it is gratuitous.
She said: “I think it’s kind of hypocritical that now people want everyone to be equal, they want everyone to be a feminist.
“But if a girl is being sexy because she wants to be sexy, people are saying, ‘Oh, no, you can’t be sexy.’ Isn’t that anti-feminism?
“Victoria’s Secret is not geared towards men – we are selling lingerie to women. We are selling a dream. Everyone wants to feel sexy.”
A spokesman for Lui has been contacted for comment.