After Exposing 'Lui' for Sexual Harassment, Sara Sampaio Demands Accountability
When Victoria’s Secret Angel Sara Sampaio posted to Instagram on October 19, the world took notice. In a six-part post, the model shared a detailed account alleging that French men’s magazine Lui published nude photos of the model without her consent. Sampaio said that she agreed to the shoot so long as no nudity was involved—yet the magazine ignored her terms and took them anyway. Sampaio’s story was another addition to the list of women who have come out swinging for obvious reasons. And by calling out the specific publication and men who violated her consent, she made an important message clear: She’s going to hold her harassers accountable.
Since sharing her statement two weeks ago, the post has accumulated over 3,000 comments, and furthered the conversation about sexual harassment started by fellow model Cameron Russell’s #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse campaign. Today, Sampaio will take the stage at Portugal’s Web Summit conference to discuss abuse in the modeling industry and the activism we’ve seen from celebrities this year. Ahead of her appearance, Sampaio exclusively shared with Glamour why she chose to speak up about Liu, what she’s heard from other models since coming forward, and how she hopes the industry can learn from her experience.
Glamour: Tell us about your decision to share that Lui had published nude photos of you without your consent. How did it feel to go public with your account?
Sara Sampaio: Honestly, I was hesitant; I didn’t know how people would react or if they would understand my point. I had been thinking about doing it for a few weeks. Then when I started to see all of the brave women speaking out about harassment and Cameron Russell sharing anonymous stories of abuse in the fashion industry on her Instagram, it made me realize I could do something important by sharing my own story.
Publicizing my experience with Lui is about choice. There was a clear agreement in place for there to be no nudity on the shoot, which Lui violated. It was put in place to protect me and my choice about my body and my image. I’ve been modeling for a while now, and realized if something like this could happen to me, I can’t imagine what is happening to young models who feel like they have no voice. Regardless of success or status, everyone has the right to make their own choices and be respected.
My hope was that by sharing my story, I would be able to protect other models from having a similar experience. I felt that it was important to call Lui out by name and to hold them accountable for their actions.
Glamour: What has the response been like since you shared your story? What is the most meaningful response you’ve received?
Sampaio: I’ve been sincerely overwhelmed with so much support, in which I wasn’t expecting. All I wanted to do was prevent the same situation from happening to someone else. Seeing so many of my model friends and colleagues commenting and texting and thanking me for speaking out, sharing their own relatable stories with me, brought me to tears. It felt good to know we could all support each other.
Glamour: You’re speaking on a panel about the modern-day model at the Web Summit, and it seems that models are leveraging social media more than ever to speak out. How has social media changed the way that you interact with your industry?
Sampaio: Social media has had a huge impact on the industry. Models now have voices. We are connected directly to millions of people, and we are no longer just pretty faces modeling clothes. This has allowed us to reach a broad audience. This platform for models to connect directly with their fans has started to shift the power dynamic in the industry, but there’s still a long way to go. I think we are heading in the right direction, as more people start to see the value in inviting models in the creative and collaborative process.
Glamour: How do you think that opening up about your experience will change the modeling industry for the better?
Sampaio: I think we, as an industry, need to hold people accountable for their actions. I want people to realize that models have a voice, and a powerful one at that. I want all models to be treated with more respect because that’s what we all want—basic respect and to not be treated like objects with no will. I hope that models can be more empowered to say ‘no’ or give their opinion without being labeled as difficult. Modeling should be a collaboration. If the makeup artist, hair dresser, photographer and stylist all contribute, why can’t models? Why are we told to be quiet and do what we’re told?
Glamour: What changes do you think need to be made in the modeling industry to avoid further cases of harassment and abuse?
Sampaio: I think communication is key. I think people in the industry need to listen more and not look the other way when someone has a voice. We need to stop sending girls and boys to photographers or professionals who are known to be abusive. There should be a much more controlled environment in place for young models to protect them, and this should be led and supported by professionals in the industry. We need to create an environment in which models feel safe sharing information about their on-set experiences, instead of being silenced. Clients also have a responsibility to stop working with abusive photographers, stylists or any other industry players.
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Sara Sampaio Says French Magazine Published Nude Photos Without Her Consent