The model said she was left permanently disfigured following a fat-freezing procedure in 2016.
Linda Evangelista made a triumphant return to the runway after 15 years when she made a surprise appearance at Fendi's fashion show to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the iconic baguette bag.
The star-studded event at the Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City brought out some of fashion's heavy hitters as VIP guests, including Kim Kardashian, Sarah Jessica Parker, La La Anthony, Naomi Watts, Bella Hadid, Winnie Harlow, Christy Turlington, Marc Jacobs and many more.
At the end of the show, Jacobs -- alongside fashion designers Silvia Fendi and Kim Jones -- stood front and center as the crowd showered them with applause. But, just moments later, Jacobs was seen waving at someone hiding to the side, and it was none other than Evangelista, who strutted out in a massive Tiffany & Co.-inspired gown. She waved to the crowd as she soaked up the adulation.
Evangelista briefly posed for the flashing lights and cameras before blowing Fendi a kiss.
Evangelista's appearance at Fendi's show comes on the heels of her appearance on the cover of September's British Vogue, in which she shared what went into her stunning photos. In the fashion magazine's story, Evangelista wanted to make it clear that "makeup artist Pat McGrath gently drew her face, jaw and neck back with tape and elastics."
"That’s not my jaw and neck in real life - and I can’t walk around with tape and elastics everywhere. You know what, I’m trying to love myself as I am, but for the photos," she said. "Look, for photos I always think we’re here to create fantasies. We’re creating dreams. I think it’s allowed. Also, all my insecurities are taken care of in these pictures, so I got to do what I love to do."
It was back in September 2021 when the 57-year-old model filed a $50 million lawsuit after she says she underwent one of Zeltiq's FDA-approved CoolSculpting procedures in 2016 that left her permanently disfigured. She settled the lawsuit in July.
In court docs previously obtained by ET, Evangelista claimed that her "quality of life, her career, and her body" were all ruined in 2016 after she says she was permanently disfigured as a result of allegedly using ZELTIQ's CoolSculpting System as well as undergoing multiple procedures and surgeries required to try to correct those physical injuries as directed by ZELTIQ."
Evangelista later told People that, within three months of her claiming a procedure, she started noticing bulges at her chin, thighs and bra area. She says the areas began growing, hardening and eventually turned numb.
"I tried to fix it myself, thinking I was doing something wrong," Evangelista said of trying dieting and exercising. "I got to where I wasn't eating at all. I thought I was losing my mind."
A rep for Zeltig issued a statement to British Vogue regarding Evangelista's allegations, which reads, "We are pleased to have resolved this matter with Ms Evangelista. Our focus continues to be on empowering confidence by providing safe, reliable aesthetics products and services backed by science. CoolSculpting is an FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment for visible fat bulges in the nine areas of the body."
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