A former model has revealed that she was ‘drugged and raped’ at a fashion luncheon – while accusing her ex-agent of encouraging her to be anorexic, and only giving her work if she slept with him.
In the early 2000s, Nikki Dubose, 36, who is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, was one of the biggest models in the industry – gracing the covers of magazines like Maxim and Glamour.
But in a powerful new interview with Real Women/Real Stories, she said in order to land modelling jobs, the director of her agency would force her to have sex with him.
She also claimed that the agency made her eating disorder worse, since she was ‘pressured into being skinner,’ and that they ‘didn’t care about her mental or physical health.’
A former model has revealed that she was ‘drugged and raped’ at a fashion luncheon – and claimed her agent would only give her work if she slept with him
In the early 2000s, Nikki Dubose, 36, who is from Charleston, South Carolina, was one of the biggest models in the industry – gracing the covers of magazines like Maxim and Glamour
At the height of her fame, Nikki (pictured in 2008) weighed just 90lbs – and says she was struggling with eating disorders and body dysmorphia made worse by the industry
‘I was a fashion model for many years, very successful, and unfortunately I saw the darkest side of the industry,’ she said.
‘The director of my agency pressured me on multiple occasions to sleep with him. And when I did, I worked more. But when I didn’t, the work stopped coming.’
The former model also said she was ‘drugged and raped’ at a lunch with a photographer, which left her feeling ‘completely inhuman and traumatized.’
She continued: ‘When I was drugged and raped, at a lunch with a photographer, I felt completely inhuman and traumatized.’
Nikki revealed that she suffered from ‘eating disorders and body dysmorphia,’ and claimed that the modelling agency she worked for ‘exacerbated her problems’ – rather than helping her.
‘I think the modelling agency definitely exacerbated my problems with eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder,’ she admitted.
But in a powerful new interview with Real Women/Real Stories , she said in order to land modelling jobs, the director of her agency would make her have sex with him
She also claimed that the agency made her eating disorder worse, and that they ‘didn’t care about her mental or physical health’
‘It’s such a psychologically damaging industry. When I was at my sickest with anorexia nervosa, I worked the most. Nobody cared about my mental health, my physical health, nothing.
‘I was just pressured into being skinnier. I weighed only 90lbs yet everyone around me just glamorized it. They told me, “You look so amazing, you’re the most beautiful girl we’ve ever seen.”
‘But really, all they wanted was to make money off of me. I was allowing myself to be in a position where people could control and abuse me.’
Now, Nikki is the founder of Live ED Free – an eating disorder recovery coaching service. She is a Psy.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Meridian University and holds a B.A. in psychology from California Southern University.
Nikki said she suffered from ‘eating disorders and body dysmorphia,’ and that the modelling agency ‘exacerbated her problems’ – rather than helping her. She is photographed in 2008
Nikki said she was ‘pressured into being skinnier,’ and that she only weighed 90lbs. She added: ‘Everyone around me just glamorized it. They told me, “You look so amazing”‘
She also wrote her own book, called Washed Away: From Darkness to Light, in 2016, where she spoke in detail about her ’17 year battle with eating disorders, depression, and sexual abuse.’
She concluded: ‘It’s time – it’s time to come together and stop the abuse against women in all industries.’
Many people flooded the comment section of the video to share their support for Nikki, and to share some of their own experiences.
‘I got out of the modeling industry [because] of the glamorization of “skinny being pretty” and every day since I left that behind I have felt better than the day before,’ one person wrote.
‘Thanks for sharing your story & shinning a light on the dangers in the industry.’
Another added, ‘I worked front desk at modeling agencies in NYC and was close with a lot of models both female and male. Some would cry to me sharing if they didn’t sleep with their agent or the owner of the agency they wouldn’t get work… it’s a really messed up industry.’