Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images; Bridget Malcolm TikTok
Model Bridget Malcolm pulled out the exact bra she wore on the catwalk at the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to reveal how her body has changed since landing the lingerie runway gig.
Malcolm, who calls herself a mental health advocate in her Instagram bio, posted a TikTok video trying on the white lace bra she modeled five years ago. The bra is size 30A. Now, Malcolm says she’s “a size 34B which is healthy for me.”
She put on the bra over a bikini top, to show just how ill-fitted it is now, while making a frowny face to the camera.
In 2017, when Malcolm went to audition for the fashion show again, her bra cup size had increased to a 30B. “I was rejected from the show in 2017 by [former VS CMO] Ed Razek. He said, ‘My body did not look good enough,'” Malcolm said.
Bridget Malcolm TikTok
The model’s video continued with throwback images of herself smiling backstage at the 2016 show. But Malcolm explained that behind the smile, she was deeply hurting inside.
RELATED: Victoria’s Secret Ditches Angels Wings, Hires Priyanka Chopra and Megan Rapinoe as New Spokeswomen
Bridget Malcolm TikTok
Bridget Malcolm TikTok
“Look how big it was on me,” she said, pointing out the same bra she was trying on again in the video. “The sadness behind my eyes from the 2016 show breaks my heart.”
Malcolm added, “Victoria’s Secret your performative allyship is a joke.”
Michele Crowe/CBS via Getty Images
In response to Malcolm’s TikTok, a Victoria’s Secret spokesperson told PEOPLE, “There is a new leadership team at Victoria’s Secret who is fully committed to the continued transformation of the brand with a focus on creating an inclusive environment for our associates, customers and partners to celebrate, uplift and champion all women.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Razek for comment.
Earlier this month, Victoria’s Secret announced its complete brand overhaul starting with two new initiatives: The VS Collective and The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers. The lingerie retailer’s VS Collective features Priyanka Chopra, Megan Rapinoe and many other “accomplished women who share a common passion to drive positive change,” Victoria’s Secret announced in a press release.
RELATED: Meet the Inspiring Winners of VS PINK’s Female Empowerment Initiative, ‘GRL PWR Project’
These changes come nearly two years after the end of the Victoria’s Secret Angel title and the subsequent cancelation of the show in Nov. 2019 due to criticism that the brand didn’t embrace models of all sizes and backgrounds on its runway.
Victoria’s Secret has been plagued with controversy over the past two years. In August of 2019, more than 100 models signed an open petition written to Victoria’s Secret CEO John Mehas by The Model Alliance, which called upon the lingerie giant to protect its models against sexual misconduct. The group wrote another letter to the CEO alleging a “culture of misogyny and abuse” in Feb. 2020. Mehas stepped down in Nov. 2020 and was replaced by Martin Waters.
In Feb. 2020, Leslie H. Wexner, the longtime chairman and CEO of L Brands, which owns the lingerie giant, stepped down, following scrutiny for his business ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
Also in February 2020, former Victoria’s Secret chief marketing officer Ed Razek was accused of sexual harassment, bullying and creating a culture of misogyny, according to a report from The New York Times. Razek denied the allegations, calling them “categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context.”
Razek had stepped down from his position in August 2019 months after causing controversy over his comments about hiring transgender or curvy models for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. He later apologized for the comments.
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