Model and social media personality, Chrissy Teigen, wasn’t always living the lifestyle she lives now. Her life before her breakthrough into Hollywood was anything but glamorous.
Before her claim to fame, Chrissy Teigen was a struggling model living in Miami, Florida. Residing with six other models, Teigen was barely scraping by, living paycheck to paycheck. Having to get creative, the young model was in total survival mode. At only 18 years old, she stayed focused, never giving up on her dream.
The aspiring model chose an alternative diet that other models wouldn’t dream of, in order to afford food. For Chrissy Teigen, it wasn’t about her figure, but more about her finances.
Life Before the Runway
As a small-town girl Teigen grew up in Snohomish, Washington where she was a cheerleader at her local high school. After graduating, Chrissy moved to California at the age of 18, to try and make it on her own.
She was discovered while working at a surf shop in Huntington Beach. Unaware that modeling was an option for her, an agent asked her to go for a test shoot, starting her path to fame.
After being discovered, she made a brave decision to move to Miami, Florida in order to pursue her dream.
Slumber Parties and Big Macs
During her time living in Miami, Chrissy lived with six other models in an apartment living room. On a budget, the model knew exactly how much she could afford for food.
This meant getting creative and eating the cheapest food she could find. McDonald’s was the answer to her prayers.
Even though it wasn’t the healthiest diet for an ambitious model, Teigen made it work until she found her big break. Without a credit card or even a bank account, Chrissy struggled to get on her feet.
While quite outspoken, Chrissy had to learn how to pick her battles. After many thoughtless Tweets and posts, she found herself getting into trouble by agencies.
Teigen was passionate about a lot of topics, constantly wanting to speak out and make a stand. Some companies wouldn’t work with her in case she said something she shouldn’t while representing them.
Even though brands tried to rein her in, Chrissy stayed true to who she was and stood tall when saying something controversial. The decision to be herself made her who she is today.
Breakthrough into Stardom
After a few years of hardships, on her way to fame, Teigen finally made her big debut. NBC’s “Deal or No Deal” hired her as a briefcase girl during the pilot and first season in 2005. However, this was short-lived as she explained to Andy Cohen on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live”. According to Chrissy, she was unable to walk down the stairs and therefore got demoted.
In 2007 the model appeared in a music video for now-husband, John Legend. While on set for the song “Stereo”, the two immediately hit it off.
With plenty of chemistry and attraction, it is rumored that John made the first move. Some may say that her relationship with Legend increased her exposure in the media.
Causing for heightened interest, and in turn, getting her more work. This sparks the question, if the pair had never met, would Teigen be where she is today?
Light at the End of the Tunnel
After her performance in Legend’s music video, Teigen caught the attention of many major publications. Magazines like Sports Illustrated, Maxim, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour were all eager to feature Chrissy as a major up-and-comer.
Sports Illustrated was her first big breakthrough into the modeling industry, which sparked traction for her as a swimsuit model. In 2010 the magazine announced her as “Rookie of the Year”, launching her swimsuit career.
She also made her mark on swimsuit runway shows, showing her versatility.
Once her modeling career was underway, Teigen continued to branch out across many different professions. Starting a food blog in 2011 and becoming the author of a best-selling cookbook in 2016, were just two of the projects she used to break into a new industry.
Chrissy didn’t just limit herself to the culinary world, she also made her debut on television through shows like EXTRA and Lip Sync Battle. Her guest appearance on EXTRA shone a light on her abilities to present a show, preparing her for five seasons of Lip Sync Battle.