Sara Sampaio took to Instagram Thursday to claim French magazine Lui not only reportedly pressured her to go nude, but also published those topless photos without her consent.
The adult entertainment publication features the 26-year-old Portuguese model in their autumn 2017 issue. The image shows Sampaio wearing white briefs and a furry shrug with her breasts exposed.
The Victoria’s Secret Angel insisted she only agreed to do the shoot under very specific conditions. However, when Sampaio appeared on set, she was reportedly “aggressively pressured” to pose nude.
“Throughout the shoot day, I needed to constantly defend myself and reiterate my boundaries with no nude images, making sure I covered myself as best as I could,” said Sampaio.
Sampaio added things only got worse from there. When she reviewed the images, she felt her body was too exposed and made it clear she didn’t want those photos published.
“The magazine lied and provided to publish the cover image of me with nudity, which was in clear violation of our agreement,” she said.
As a result, Sampaio confirmed she will “pursue legal action” against Lui.
“I want to do what I can to prevent this from happening to me again, and to others,” she said.
This isn’t the first time Lui has unveiled a risqué cover. Back in 2015, the New York Daily News reported Lui featured 12 topless models from around the world for their double December/January issue. The images were also used in a calendar to benefit breast cancer research.
That same year, Italian actress/model Monica Bellucci also appeared on the cover of Lui, but she chose to appear semi-clothed.
Sampaio is standing by her experience and hopes it will shed some light on the mistreatment models tend to face within the fashion industry.
“I feel violated, mistreated and disrespected as a professional and as a woman,” she wrote. “Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, and I am not alone.”