Kelly Hughes flaunts her C-section scars on Sports Illustrated cover in HISTORIC FIRST
Kelly Hughes has become the first model to flaunt her cesarean-section scar for a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.
For the 2022 issue of the reputed magazine, Kelly donned a nude-hued skimpy string bikini. She shared the space with renowned divas including Kim Kardashian, Maye Musk, Ciara, and Yumi Nu, who were featured in the magazine as this year’s cover girls.
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The proud model may have become a mother but that can’t stop her from embracing her beauty. Kelly welcomed her 3-year-old son via cesarean. The model was joined by Katrina Scott, 2021’s Rookie of the Year, who was photographed when six and a half months pregnant, as well as Hunter McGrady, who posed for the outlet six months postpartum.
This year, the media outlet collaborated with brand Frida Mom to raise awareness foe Pay With Change, an initiative promoting the idea of "positively shifting the mainstream cultural narratives associated with women’s bodies – especially when becoming a mom."
After Hughes’ photographs made headlines for her boldness, the founder and designer of the jewelry brand HÜES partnered with ESTAS Beauty and came forward to start the initiative of #ScarLoveChallenge on social media to address the deep-rooted stigma around scars on the human body. Encouraging the feeling of empowerment, ESTAS started a new trend on social media and promised to donate $1 to World of Children, every time a #ScarLoveChallenge photo gets posted on social media.
Meanwhile, Kelly in a conversation with Fox News Digital, talked about the blissful feeling of motherhood, her experience while baring her scars for the first time, and the art of tackling hate comments on social media.
During the conversation, the interviewee asked Kelly about her experience of baring her C-section scars for the first time, to which the diva replied, “I had a million things running through my mind before I even started shooting. I had never shown my scar before. And I have been 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.”
Further, she talked about how important showing off her C-section scar was to her. “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. And I think it’s beautiful that a magazine like Sports Illustrated is showing a woman with a C-section and saying, 'she’s beautiful'." Kelly added.
She also addressed the negative or hate comments she received after her photoshoot went viral. “It’s interesting, I was shocked that about 99% of people that reached out to me have been supportive. Even the press I received after my photo went viral was supportive. Sure, sometimes people like to make their comments – it is Instagram – but I’ve gotten an overwhelming number of positive comments from both men and women.” She added, “Of course, you still get comments like 'who cares?' or 'she’s half-naked' or 'we don’t want to see this' – all those comments are generic. And the truth is, there will always be people out there who want to dim your light.”