15 Hidden Scandals Of Russian Models
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, if you're a Russian model, then you're probably beautiful, period. You may be 5'9, skinny and rich, but you know, looks can be deceiving. Your outer appearance is stunning, but your inner appearance is a hot mess.
You could be struggling with low self-image, an eating disorder, or addiction, and your fans would never know. You could be dying on the inside, even though you're looking fierce on the outside.
You're a model, but you're more than just a model. You're human, too. And humans make mistakes, even if they're gorgeous. Remember when model Gia Carangi talked about her heroin addiction? She was considered the world's first supermodel, but the young woman felt like she was the world's biggest loser. "Things were starting, just two years in, to fall apart. Her moods were swinging wildly. She walked out on shoots or fell asleep during jobs. Her drug use was preventing her from working at anything close to her full capacity as a model," an article stated.
The celebrity's success peaked in the 1980's, but her lifestyle dwindled her fame, fortune and future. She had very few loved ones in her corner, and she was usually surrounded by vultures of the modeling industry. She was in her twenties when she passed away on November 18, 1986.
Even though Carangi was embroiled in scandal, she played an important role in exposing the ugly side of the modeling career, and so do fifteen other models.
15. Anastasiya Kvitko's 'Plastic' Avenue
Anastasiya Kvitko's a Russian model who's been compared to Kim Kardashian, a reality star. Kvitko's bust and bottom have gained the model international attention, and her 2.6 million followers on Instagram prove her success.
However, the buxom beauty is battling the hearsay of her purported plastic surgery.
"The only thing I put time into is sports, so I spend a lot of time in the gym. I am not going to change anything, because I am for being natural. But I don't look at plastic surgery negatively," she says.
She promotes body positivity and encourages other women to embrace their figures. "She must be valued and pretty and she must look after her health and appearance, as well as her internal worlds," Kvitko emphasized.
14. Iren Ferrari And Boobs Sue
In 2010, Iren Ferrari, a Russian model with the biggest breast implants, planned on suing a Swiss airline. Apparently, her flight's intense turbulence caused one of her implants to pop.
An article reads, "Ferrari claims the rocking plane threw her surgically altered body into her facing seat and her lawyer helpfully added, 'The space between the seats was too tight for her breasts.'"
The model wasn't kidding around, as she wanted at least $120,000 for her injuries. If she wins, will she reduce her 44J cups, you ask? Probably not.
13. Viktoria Odintcova's Deathly Selfie
Viktoria Odintcova, a Russian model, wanted to be famous so badly that she risked her life for that to happen.
She climbed the stairs of Dubai's Cayan Tower and was recorded to have been balancing on the high-rise building's beams.
She was 984 feet in the air and she almost fell to her death. "Odintcova survived the incident physically unscathed, but Dubai authorities are not too happy about this. They may fine her," an article relays.
Odintcova was without any safety nets. But she risked her life, anyway. She wanted a really cool photo for her Instagram. At least she was happy with her snapshots.
12. Ruslana Korshunova's Suicide
Ruslana Korshunova was 20 years old when she committed suicide; she fell to her death. The Kazakh model was at the height of her career. "Dubbed 'fashion's muse of the moment' by the Sunday Times of London in 2005, Korshunova distinguished herself with locks of hair that once draped down to her thighs," an article states.
The young woman was extremely successful in her modeling career and was even on the cover of Vogue. However, she was suicidal. "Police ruled the model's death a suicide. Korshunova died from blunt impact injuries," according to an article.
Her loved ones were extremely upset, and they believed her death had nothing to do with mental illness. "She was my best friend. There's no way she would have killed herself. She loved life so much," Kira Titeneva says. Titeneva talked about how Korshunova seemed so happy and nonchalant, so her suicide was unfathomable.
The doorman to the deceased's apartment also noted Korshunova's light. "She was a very sweet girl, always smiling, never depressed-looking," he says.
11. Yana Gudkova's Lawsuit
Russian model Yana Gudkova was evicted from the apartment that her sugar daddy, Brent Carrier, owned. The businessman was upset Gudkova denied his sexual advances, so he ousted the woman from his deluxe apartment.
"Gudkova, who moved to the U.S. in 2013, is demanding Carrier return her jewelry, her $8,000 Rolex watch, Mac laptop, iPad Mini and a pair of snakeskin purses, one white and one black," an article relays. Carrier hired lawyer Steven Bagwin. According to Bagwin, Gudkova was just a platonic guest. "Gudkova did live in Carrier's Chelsea apartment, but only 'as a favor,' and the two were never intimate. 'It was an apartment he didn't need or want,'" Bagwin states.
Gudkova filed a "Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit," so whether she and Carrier were either friends or lovers was irrelevant. The woman just wanted her belongings back.
10. Ekaterina Ivanova's a Rolling Stone
Ekaterina Ivanova's not a Russian model, but she's a cocktail waitress, and she's also the former lover of Ronnie Wood, a member of The Rolling Stones.
The pair met at an escort bar in London, and Wood charmed Ivanova with his black locks, drunken humor, and $90 million net worth. They eloped into the night, and Ivanova thought she was in a fairytale. She soon realized that no amount of champagne and caviar was worth staying with an alcoholic. Wood drank at least two bottles of vodka daily, and his addictions were too much for Ivanova to handle.
"He was like a child with tantrums when he was drunk, throwing water bottles, and doing impressions of my voice. It was like trying to keep a child under control. In the end I was so unimpressed by everything. I found it very fake," she recounts.
She and Wood split. Their whirlwind romance was too toxic, so the pair lived their own lives. Wood got sober, and he and his third wife, Sally, welcomed twin girls. Ivanova was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother. Their dreams came true, after all.
9. Kristina Pimenova's Controversial Childhood
A then nine-year-old child, Kristina Pimenova, had been modeling since her preschool years. She was even dubbed "the most beautiful girl in the world." The little girl is already doing the jobs of grown women.
"Kristina, from Moscow, Russia, has been walking catwalks since the age of four, graced the prestigious cover of Vogue Bambini when she was seven, and has already been the face of Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Benetton, among others," an article states.
Where's Pimenova's mother? She's behind the girl's Instagram, which reportedly has hundreds of thousands of followers. The model is already exposed to predatory comments online, not to mention the cutthroat realm of the modeling world.
But her mother claims she's extremely protective of her daughter. "Her mother Glikeriya claims she frequently deletes inappropriate comments, and lists 'rules' on Kristina's Facebook page," she states. Pimenova's mom also talks about how much her daughter enjoys modeling, so the little girl is just having fun. "She's been having a blast ever since and is still loving every minute of it," the mother says.
8. Angelica Kenova's 'Barbie World'
From Moscow, Russia, 26-year-old Angelica Kenova was babied by her parents. They were very strict, and they banned Kenova from dates, parties, and outings.
"My parents raised me like a princess and never let me go out, date boys or have the usual adult experiences. As a result, I am not fit for real life — I'm like a living doll. My mother and father don't want me to move out of the family home," she revealed.
The model's parents, mainly her mother, wanted her to look like Barbie. She was dressed in certain outfits, coached by her professional trainer, and chaperoned on dates.
However, she still loves her parents, and her dreams are to pose for Playboy and soon, get married. Her mother and father would have to approve, though. She explains, "I really love my family and I don't want to upset them. If I ever decided to live apart or do something against their will, it would be a scandal!"
7. Svetlana Zakharova's Doppelgänger Disaster
Svetlana Zakharova's a Russian model who's worked for Alexander Wang, Balmain, and Chanel. Her career was skyrocketing, but one on-screen appearance plummeted her job opportunities. She was accused by Good Day New York of "trying to extort former Gov. Eliot Spitzer."
Zakharova's photos were broadcasted on the show, and the model had no idea. She was "on a fashion shoot in Chelsea" at the time. When she checked her social media accounts, she was receiving messages about her alleged crime. Zakharova was living her worst nightmare.
"I woke up this morning and checked my phone and it was a disaster — I didn't know what was happening," she says.
She was mistaken for Svetlana Travis, the criminal who also used the surname of Zakharova. Travis was arrested for blackmail, but Zakharova still suffered the consequences of her doppelgänger's crime. "My client's reputation has been destroyed, possibly by the rest of her career because of the homework that these people did not do," says Sal Strazzullo, the model's attorney.
6. Anna Loginova's Fashion Statement
Anna Loginova was more than a Russian model; she was also a Russian bodyguard. She proved to the world that women can be both beautiful and strong.
However, in 2008, the young woman died of fatal injuries. "Anna Loginova has been killed after failing to prevent her own Porsche being carjacked. The glamorous 29-year-old died from head injuries after clinging on to the door handle and being dragged along the street at high speed as the car screeched away," an article read.
The woman was known for protecting her clients, and she was known as Russia's toughest female bodyguard. "Loginova ran an agency for female bodyguards, some trained by the ex-KGB, to give discreet protection to Moscow's billionaires and their wives and mistresses," an article stated. May the woman rest in peace.
5. Sofia Nikitchuk's 'Abuse'
Sofia Nikitchuk was crowned Miss Russia 2015, but the highs of her success came with lows too. When she appeared on the cover of Stolnik Magazine, she was wearing the Russian flag. Her critics were very displeased, and they wanted her to be prosecuted.
"Activists from the Russian city of Yekaterinburg appealed to the prosecutor of Sverdlovsk region to consider the legality of Sofia Nikitchuk's use of the Russian tricolor in a photoshoot. They want to punish her for abuse of the state symbols of the Russian Federation," an article relays. Nikitchuk remained silent on her controversial photo, but Stolnik Magazine's editor-in-chief, Anna Reshyotkina, took full responsibility for the magazine's cover.
Nikitchuk's career was still soaring. While the woman still wore her crown, she was prepping for Miss Universe 2015 and Miss World 2015.
4. Elena Gant: Little Woman, Big Scandal
Russian native Elena Gant is known for her role in Little Women: LA, a reality series about the lives of little women.
Gant first appeared on the show in 2014, and she remained a controversial figure throughout the first season. She was envied by her friends because of her modeling opportunities, unconventional beauty, and celebrity impersonations. However, she was also hated by the group because she was okay with the word m-----, a derogatory slur toward the little people community.
Her frenemies also hated Gant's line of work. She was a Britney Spears impersonator in Las Vegas, which turned out to be a problematic gig. "The theater owner has threatened to sue if the producers exploit Elena's reputation as 'Little Britney' and use it to promote the show," an article relays.
Her former boss' threat was worrisome for the production team, but her inner circle was probably relieved. There would be no more talk of degrading performances and personas.
3. Alina Kabayeva: Model Mistress
Russian Alina Kabayeva was a decorated model, politician, and gymnast, but she added another title to her impressive resume: Vladimir Putin's wife.
She and Putin first met each other when the woman was in her teens, but the pair got married when she was 30 years old. "A St. Petersburg wedding planning firm claimed they had been contacted to plan the couple's wedding in 2008. Kabayeva gave birth to a son last year, though the father has never been publicly identified," an article relays.
In 2013, Putin and his first wife officially divorced. While she might've joined a convent, Putin married his mistress, a woman thirty years his junior.
2. Elena Perminova's Sentence
Siberian Elena Perminova fears for her husband's life. Alexander Lebedev may be sentenced to prison, and he may lose his life in the system.
"I worry so much for him. I know he's a good man. I know how much good he has done selflessly for other people, his charity work, helping children with leukemia. What is going on is so unfair. My little children love him so much and I do too," the woman says.
Her husband, a billionaire and former KGB spy is facing at least five years hard time.
He had hit his male counterpart, Sergei Polonsky, on live television, and Putin was very displeased. Lebedev was arrested a year later, and he was charged with "hooliganism driven by political hatred." If Lebedev is convicted, he may be killed inside the penitentiary. Even his son is worried.
"It's an easy place for somebody to be taken out. It's very concerning," he says.
1. Alesya Kafelnikova's Anorexia
Russian model Alesya Kafelnikova's father, renowned tennis star, Yevgeny Kafelnikova, has diagnosed his daughter as anorexic. The man is scared for his daughter's life because for an 18-year-old woman with a height of 5'7", Kafelnikova only weighs 110 lbs.
She needs help, but his daughter constantly denies her problem, even though she has suffered hair loss, stopped having periods, and crippled her immune system. The brunette beauty's followers on Instagram are worried for her.
Hopefully, the woman gets help before she further damages her brain and body.
Sources: dailymail, nydailynews, forbes, thefrisky, nypost
