Cara Delevingne has lifted the lid on what she describes as a culture of sexual misconduct which shadowed the fashion industry when she began modeling, saying there was “no safety” for young women and that the environment left lasting emotional scars years before the MeToo movement transformed the conversation.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 33-year-old British supermodel and actress, who has been sober for four years after battling addiction and mental health issues, reflected on her early career in a candid new interview.
Article continues below advertisement
Cara Opens Up
Cara Delevingne described a culture of sexual misconduct.
Delevingne said she struggled to acknowledge her own trauma because she believed she had chosen the life she was living, but now recognizes the industry exposed young models to an atmosphere that lacked basic protections and accountability.
One fashion industry source told us: “Cara is saying out loud what many women privately experienced before MeToo. There were far fewer safeguards, and young models often felt they had to accept inappropriate behavior to succeed.
“The fashion industry has changed in many ways, but Cara’s comments are a reminder of how normalized certain conduct once became and why so many people welcomed the cultural shift that followed.”
Article continues below advertisement
#MeToo Changed Everything
Cara spiraled into drugs and alcohol during her career.
Delevingne said: “The comment tends to be, ‘Get over it, you chose this life.’
“But then I agree with them because I did not sympathise with myself. I felt, ‘Oh grow up, get over it. You’re so lucky.’ I had the same mentality as other people and so I didn’t blame them for thinking that.
“I wasn’t allowing myself to feel pain, anger or used – because I felt I had put myself there. I chose that life.
“I was modelling at a rough time. There was no safety then, apart from with other girls. It was before MeToo, with this sexual misconduct vibe of straight older photographers, and that is why I am sad, because I still have a chip on my shoulder from all that.
“And so, no – I would not say, ‘Advocate for more sympathy for celebrities!’ “We just need to have sympathy for ourselves and others more in general, because we are brutal about everything.”
Article continues below advertisement
Darkest Career Struggles
The model credited her partner Minke with rebuilding her life.
READ MORE ON Entertainment
The Only Murders in the Building star also reflected on stepping away from acting for an extended period, admitting she does not believe a woman could have behaved the way she did on set without facing consequences.
She said: “My spiral into drugs and alcohol didn’t help. Men get away with it but I can’t name any women who are crazy actresses, like I was. I would go out with all the stunt guys! It didn’t work out well.
“If you don’t advocate for yourself, nobody will. And I was a psycho – going, ‘I’m fine!’
“And yes, people should go, ‘You OK?’ But then they don’t want to suggest you cancel work. If they do, someone’s not going to get paid. If a lowly agent says you should take the week off, they are going to get fired.
“Now I look back on it and I really appreciate my body – I broke out in red scabs. I was modelling too much, covered in psoriasis, so my body said, ‘I’ll sort this out.'”
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Delevingne feared that the public would forget her name.
Delevingne, who credits her partner Minke with helping rebuild her life, said taking time away from the spotlight ultimately proved essential despite initially fearing the public would forget about her.
She added: “I struggled in the beginning. If I’m honest, I struggled with the ego, thinking people were going to forget me. But it allowed me to nurture myself, my life, my relationship.”