Kelly Hughes made history with her inclusion in the 2022 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit as the first to model with a visible C-section scar.
Now, she is reflecting on how the images seen across the world have not only empowered readers, but also herself.
“To be honest, I had no idea how much this would impact people. But my photo went viral all over the world. This is something I probably wouldn’t have done before, but I also didn’t see myself in the same way I see myself now,” Hughes told Fox News digital.
“I think it’s beautiful that a magazine like Sports Illustrated is showing a woman with a C-section and saying, ‘She’s beautiful.’ Now, I realize how important that photo is to me because I had no idea how underrepresented this was.”
The model explained that she has long been insecure about the scar and even planned to avoid having a cesarean birth so that she wouldn’t have to deal with having the mark on her abdomen.
“I had never shown my scar before. And I have been really open with how I struggled with insecurities around my scar. I originally didn’t want a C-section because the bounce back was going to be much harder being that I’m a model,” she said, noting that there’s already a lot to worry about when it comes to embracing a postpartum body.
“Society just puts so much pressure on you to ‘bounce back.’ I wasn’t a size 2 anymore. I wasn’t doing too much modeling in a bikini in the first place. So it was scary at first to show my biggest insecurity in a magazine like Sports Illustrated. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be received.”
Kelly Hughes is a model, jewelry maker, business owner, and mom hailing from Miami, FL. Hughes is represented by Next Model Management and has been modeling for over 20 years.
In 2009, she began creating bracelets by hand and through word-of-mouth built a successful unisex jewelry line that is sold in high end boutiques and hotels. In 2018, Hughes became pregnant with her son.