Chrissy Teigen‘s beautiful looks, bold character, social media presence, and relationship with singer-songwriter John Legend are just a few of the reasons she’s one of the biggest stars right now. Teigen is also the host of the reality competition show, Lip Sync Battle and has a successful cookbook and line of cookware, amongst other ventures. Despite her massive success on various platforms, the model’s career wasn’t always in such a great place. Teigen’s explained how she began her career and what she did before she became a model.
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Chrissy Teigen had humble beginnings
Before she became one of the highest-paid models, Teigen struggled financially during the beginning stages of her career. “I had no credit cards, I didn’t have a bank account,” Teigen remembered during an interview with Vanity Fair. When Teigen was 18, she was discovered by a photographer while she was working at a surf shop. The future TV host decided to pursue modeling and moved to Miami, where she shared an apartment with six other models.
Teigen would even survive off of McDonald’s just to save a buck. “I knew exactly how much it was with tax to get a McDouble and fries,” she continued. Teigen’s luck changed as more opportunities presented became available. She had a brief stint as a “briefcase girl” on the NBC show Deal or No Deal. “I did from the pilot season to first, but then I got demoted because I couldn’t walk down the stairs,” she recalled during an interview with Andy Cohen.
The model also found success in her love life
Chrissy Teigen met her husband when she appeared in his music video for the song, “Stereo”. The couple married in Como, Italy after dating for four years and are the parents of two children. Even though she’s a published model with features in Sports Illustrated, Teigen didn’t consider herself “sexy” until a few years ago. Growing up, Teigen considered herself to be more of a tomboy.
“All models say growing up, they were kind of awkward, but I wasn’t awkward. I played sports like baseball and soccer, and I had all guy friends. It was more weird, not ‘Oh my, look at the dark-haired mixed girl,” Teigen explained to Vibe Magazine.
Teigen now can enjoy the fruits of her labor and also give back to those who matter most — her parents. “I remember all those times I was Western Unioning my parents when I was 20, living in Miami, not making anything because all the checks you would make would go back into modeling and being sucked into your apartment that you’re being overcharged for,” Teigen recalled.