In an interview for her cover spread in Sports Illustrated‘s 2023 Swimsuit Edition, Megan Fox was candid about her experience growing up with body dysmorphia, saying, “I don’t ever see myself the way other people see me.”
The actress and mom-of-three, 36, told the magazine that despite her stunning outward appearance, she’s always been self-conscious about the way she looked—and, more than anything, she wished that more people would “[notice] her aura.”
Megan Calls Swimsuit Shoot “A Lot Of Pressure”
Though Megan has often been highlighted for her looks, including for this famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, she hasn’t always felt comfortable in her own skin—something that many non-celebs can also relate to.
In the accompanying interview for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, Megan confessed that “Shooting Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is definitely a lot of pressure,” adding, “what I most want people to know is that I’m a genuine soul who is hoping to actually belong to something and not always have to live as a misunderstood outcast.”
Accepting herself has not always been easy for Megan: she candidly told the magazine that she has struggled with body dysmorphia ever since she was very young. “There’s never been a point in my life where I loved my body, never ever,” said the Jennifer’s Body star. “When I was little, that was like, an obsession I had, that I should ‘look this way’.”
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Fans Comment: ‘So Beautiful’
Megan shared the Swimsuit Edition covers with three other models this year—lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, Grammy Award-winning singer Kim Petras, and previous SI Swimsuit model Brooks Nader all scored their own covers as well. But Megan, says the magazine, is special for how she hopes to be seen by the world. Said editor-in-chief MJ Day in Megan’s article, “[Fox] humbly accepts her stunning beauty while simultaneously seeking to be seen and appreciated as the woman of intellect and internal beauty.”
For her shoot, the Transformers actress was photographed in the Dominican Republic by Greg Swales wearing a slinky beaded bikini made of gold coins, as well as a multicolor two-piece and a pink, red, and blue cut-out one-piece swimsuit. The location—Tropicalia, in the Miches region of the DR—was chosen to underscore what the mag calls Megan’s “childlike joy” and comfort when being in nature.
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Fans are loving the shoot, with some on Instagram commenting “Crushing on her since I was 17,” “She is sooo pretty,” and “The world will never be the same after this,” among other raves. But despite the positive reaction, Megan’s focused on her self-esteem above everything else: “The journey of like, loving myself, is going to be never-ending, I think,” she admitted in her magazine interview.
2023: A Big Year For Megan Fox
2023 is shaping up to be a notable year for Megan Fox, and scoring the SI Swimsuit cover is just one highlight. Another might be the apparent rekindling of her relationship with rapper-actor Machine Gun Kelly—following months of break-up rumors, it seems the couple is back on after images were released from a romantic vacation in Hawaii this April.
A source close to the couple told the Daily Mail that "They're officially back on after going through a rocky patch in their relationship. The last few months has been tough for them both but they went away together to do some healing and it's been working. They feel more connected than ever."
Rumors of a split began after Machine Gun Kelly was linked to his guitarist, Sophie Lloyd, after Megan appeared at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March without her wedding ring. However, Megan later defended the musician from the reports on an Instagram post, commenting "Why are people so...so dumb," adding that Sophie is "insanely talented."
Machine Gun Kelly attended the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch party in support of Fox, though according to a People source, their wedding plans have been "halted" for now.
Megan was most recently seen in the films Johnny & Clyde and Taurus, the latter of which was written by and co-starred Machine Gun Kelly.
