Despite headlines in the mainstream media that Kate Upton is “furious” with Victoria’s Secret, Upton just has a “bad taste in her mouth,” a source close to the model told WWD.
Rumors from numerous news organizations began swirling Wednesday that Upton was “furious” with Victoria’s Secret for using a dated image of her in a cleavage-revealing black bra on the back page of the newest Victoria’s Secret catalogue.
The image of Upton wearing a Body by Victoria black bra with Memory Fit seamless technology was released Tuesday in the most recent Victoria’s Secret catalogue — two years after Upton posed for the lingerie powerhouse.
Upton could not be reached Wednesday. Victoria’s Secret officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Related Galleries
But a spokesperson who is familiar with Upton’s business practices, described the media frenzy — which included a top-trending story on Twitter as well as in the New York Post — as “untrue.”
“The quote was wrong [in the Post].…She’s not furious.…She’s just not thrilled about it, and the reason is she’s not contracted to work with Victoria’s Secret,” said the spokesperson. “The way it unraveled so quickly left a bad taste in her mouth.”
The image of Upton was taken in 2011 when she last modeled for Victoria’s Secret. Since then, the 20-year-old blonde bombshell has skyrocketed to fame on the covers of Vogue and Sports Illustrated, and made this year’s FHM Sexiest Women in the World list, ranking at number 8.
RELATED STORY: Victoria’s Secret Angels Surprise Ed Razek >>
It’s unclear if Victoria’s Secret owns the rights to the images of Upton shot in 2011, but it’s common practice for a company to do a “buyout” of images that give a brand unlimited use.
Last year, Upton was reportedly turned down by Victoria’s Secret to model in the retailer’s annual fashion show. At the time, she was described by a casting director as “too obvious” and “too blonde” to represent Victorias Secret on the catwalk.
But her sudden appearance this week in the catalogue is fueling widespread speculation that she may soon be earning her wings as a Victoria’s Secret Angel.
“As of right now, it’s untrue. She has no plans to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel. As far as I know, there are no discussions,” stated the spokesperson.