Nina Agdal shared an empowering message about body-shaming on Friday after she revealed an unnamed magazine refused to run a cover featuring her because she did not fit the sample sized clothing.
The Danish model, 25, shared a photo of herself wearing just a pair of jeans on Instagram admitting she was “disappointed and appalled at the still very harsh reality of this industry.”
“A few months ago, I agreed to shoot with a creative team I believed in and was excited to collaborate with,” she wrote. “When my agent received an unapologetic email concluding they would not run my cover/story because it “did not reflect well on my talent” and “did not fit their market,” the publisher claimed my look deviated from my portfolio and that I did not fit into the (sample size) samples, which is completely false.”
She continued, “If anyone has any interest in me, they know I am not an average model body – I have an athletic build and healthy curves.”
“After a tough year of taking a step back from the insensitive and unrealistic pressures of this industry and dealing with paralyzing social anxiety, I walked into that shoot as a 25 year old WOMAN feeling more comfortable in my own skin and healthier than ever before,” Agdal wrote. “Some days I’m a sample size, some days I’m a size 4, some a 6. I am not built as a runway model and have never been stick thin. Now more than ever, I embrace my curves and work diligently in the gym to stay strong and most of all, sane.”
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The model, who has been in Sports Illustrated and Maxim, said she was “proud” that her body had “evolved from when I started this crazy ride as a 16 year old GIRL with unhealthy and insufficient eating habits.”
“So, shame on you and thank you to the publisher for reaffirming how important it is to live your truth and say it out loud, no matter who you are or what size,” she concluded. “I decided to release an image to draw awareness and support of an issue that’s bigger than just myself and affects so many people not just in the fashion industry, but in general, with the goal of bringing women from all over together in a celebration of our bodies. Let’s find ways to build each other up instead of constantly finding ways to tear each other down. #bodyshaming #bodyimage #selfimage #dietculture #mybodymybusiness.”
Agdal was previously dating Leonardo DiCaprio, but the couple split in May 2017. DiCaprio, 43, and Agdal were first spotted together in May 2016, and a source confirmed to PEOPLE in July that the pair were hooking up.