Linda Evangelista Blames Zeltiq CoolSculpting For Leaving Her ‘Brutally Disfigured’ After Cosmetic Procedure

Model Linda Evangelista was known in the 1990s for her fierce catwalk down the runaways for some of the most well-known designers. However, she recently admitted her disappearance from the spotlight over the last few years was due to side effects from a cosmetic procedure.

Evangelista opened up to her Instagram followers in her latest post about how she decided to get a fat reduction procedure using Zeltiq CoolSculpting.

“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,” Evangelista wrote.

The model claimed the procedure left her “permanently deformed even after two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries.” She added, “I have been left, as the media has described, ‘unrecognizable.’”

Evangelista revealed she “developed Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia or PAH” and was not made aware that the condition could be a side effect of 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,” she explained.

Evangelista revealed she has filed a lawsuit against the company and is “moving forward to rid myself of my shame” that resulted from the procedure.

“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 added.

Following her post, the model received support from several celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Scott.

Evangelista’s lawsuit reportedly claims the star has “severe and permanent personal injuries and disfigurement” and has suffered “economic losses” because she can longer model due to the side effects of the procedure.