Inside the health battle that devastated ‘the most beautiful girl in the world’ – as child star reveals striking ‘all grown up’ selfies

Child star Thylane Blondeau, 24, this week wowed social media fans with images documenting the evolution of her look over the years. 

The model, who was dubbed the ‘most beautiful girl in the world’ at the age of six, looks very different from the blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl that took the world of fashion by storm over two decades ago – with Blondeau trading in her unkempt golden locks for luscious brown tresses.

Blondeau was three when she was catapulted to the spotlight after an an agent for the legendary fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier picked her out of a crowd in The Champs-Elysees and sent her strutting down a runway.

As well as her infamous cover shoot for Vogue Enfants, she has gone on to work for some of the biggest couture brands in the world including Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, L’Oréal Paris, Versace, Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss.

But amid the glamour, the daughter of French footballer Patrick Blondeau and TV presenter Veronika Loubry has suffered an agonising health ordeal.

In 2021, Paris-based Blondeau revealed she’d recently had multiple surgeries for complications with ovarian cysts.

She shared the news on Instagram, posting photos from her hospital bed.

The French beauty explained that she had surgery in 2020 after an ovarian cyst ‘exploded in my stomach.’ 

Ex-child model Thylane Blondeau was called the ‘most beautiful in the world’ when she was six

Health problems: Thylane Blondeau, 20, revealed she has had multiple surgeries for complications with ovarian cysts

Sharing photos of herself in her hospital gown and an image of her scan, Thylane went on to explain that she began experiencing pain again three months after her first surgery.

‘At the beginning everyone ( and I ofc ) thought it was because of the operation,’ she wrote. ‘This year I saw three different gynecologists, I’ve seen more than 4 radiology centers in Paris and all of them said the same thing, “don’t worry U have nothing it’s all in your head”.

Thylane said she had to go to A&E ‘because my belly was hurting so much I couldn’t handle it anymore and they said that everything was fine and that I had a lil kyste and I will have to do a check up in 2-3 months.’

‘The day after this I had this appointment with an amazing doctor who directly saw that I had a kyste of 5,6 cm who was touching my ovary so he sent me to do an IRM and an hour after this , the doctor called me and ask me to go straight to the hospital to do an emergency operation .’

‘Today I’m finally feeling better I’m finally feeling free I really thought I was crazy for complaining about my stomach for so long. Happy that I’ve never gave up,’ she wrote.

‘From this experience I’ve learned that when you’re body hurts, don’t let it slide and take care of it, you must see different doctors until some of them find the problem and heals it. Any pain even the little ones can hide something way more important.’

Still posing: The model, who was dubbed the ‘most beautiful girl in the world’ at the age of six, shared an Instagram post detailing her health problems, and posted photos from her hospital room

Pain: The French beauty explained that she had surgery a year ago after an ovarian cyst ‘exploded in my stomach’

Famous: The fashionista is the daughter of footballer Patrick Blondeau, and rocketed to fame at age six after being named the ‘most beautiful girl in the world’. Pictured in 2012

Thylane went on to thank her doctor ‘who literally saved my life,’ as well as her mother for travelling from the South of France to be with her. She ended her post by paying tribute to her boyfriend Ben Attal ‘who helped me since 1 year ago with my belly problems ❤️.’  

It’s estimated that around one in 10 women are affected by an ovarian cyst at some point in their lifetime, and they don’t usually cause any symptoms.

The growth is a fluid-filled sac that develops on a woman’s ovary, and usually disappears in a few months without needing any treatment.

However, if the cyst splits, is very large, or blocks the blood supply to the ovaries, it can cause symptoms.

These problems include pelvic pain, which can range from a dull, heavy sensation to a sudden, severe and sharp pain and pain during sex.

Difficulty emptying bowels a frequent need to urinate are also common signs, as are heavy periods, irregular periods or lighter periods than normal.

Bloating and feeling very full after only eating a little are also signs, as is difficulty getting pregnant.

Ovarian cysts can sometimes also be caused by an underlying condition, such as endometriosis.

Scar: Sharing photos of herself in her hospital gown and an image of her scar and scan, Thylane explained thay she began experiencing pain again three months after her first surgery

Photos posted on her Instagram account show how her look has evolved over the years, with her darker hair among the most noticeable difference

The vast majority of ovarian cysts are non-cancerous, although a small number are cancerous.. Cancerous cysts are more common in women who have been through the menopause.

Surgical treatment to remove the cysts may be needed if they’re large, causing symptoms, or potentially cancerous.

In some cases, surgery to remove both ovaries may be necessary, in which case women will no longer produce any eggs.

Thylane walked for Jean Paul Gaultier at the age of four and then later, aged 10, became the youngest ever model to pose for Vogue Paris. 

In a 2018 interview with The Telegraph, she said she distanced herself from the girl who was once declared the world’s ‘most beautiful’.

‘Even today, people are like, “you are the most beautiful girl,” and I’m like, “no, I’m still not, I’m just a human being, a teenager.

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