Panic as ‘vulnerable’ Polaroids of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models from Kim Kardashian to Brittany Mahomes go MISSING during bungled corporate reshuffle
Thousands of Polaroids taken of former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models ‘in various states of undress’ have disappeared, sparking panic.
The ‘vulnerable’ images of models and celebs disappeared amid a bungled corporate reshuffle when the magazine changed hands and were last seen in New York.
The ‘not for public consumption’ snaps are said to include wardrobe malfunctions which mean there are body parts visible through sheer garments or ‘hanging out’ that would normally be omitted in final images.
‘We’ve no idea where the Polaroids are,’ an insider told Page Six, ‘We don’t even know if they’re in New York.’
However, SI Swimsuit’s owner stated that the Polaroids are n the possession of previous owners Arena Group.
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Thousands of Polaroids taken of former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models including the likes of Kim Kardashian ‘in various states of undress’ have disappeared, sparking panic
The source added that the models believed the Polaroids would only ever be seen by SI’s all-female editorial staff.
‘The items in SI Swimsuit’s fashion closet which include loaned swimsuits, jewelry for shoots, production equipment, and Polaroids are not missing, they are in Arena Group’s possession,’ A SI Swimsuit spokesman said.
‘Arena Group has denied SI Swimsuit’s requests to return these items despite multiple attempts. Our main priority is and always will be the safety and well being of our staff, models and designers that participate in our shoots.’
The images are taken as part of ‘sitting sheets’ which record exactly what models are wearing so it can be reported later.
They reportedly vanished along with thousands of dollars worth of designer swimsuits loaned to the outlet for its photoshoots.
The mishap allegedly occurred during a transfer of ownership from Five Hour Energy drink billionaire Manoj Bhargava.
Bhargava took control of SI and its swimsuit arm last year and relocated all the magazine’s equipment and photographs to his New York headquarters.
However, his tenure ended explosively after he fired several of the outlet’s star writers and became embroiled in a series of thorny lawsuits with SI’s parent company.
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The ‘vulnerable’ images, allegedly including former cover star Gigi Hadid, disappeared amid a bungled corporate reshuffle when the magazine changed hands
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An insider said the magazine ‘has no idea’ where the sensitive images could be. Pictured: Gayle King in her SI Swimsuit shoot
It was reportedly during the transfer back that the Polaroids and garments went missing.
Sources claim that ‘hundreds’ of photos could be missing of some individual models who have appeared in the magazine multiple times.
They added that SI asked Bhargava for the items back and he promised to look into it, but has since gone quiet.
Bhargava came to the helm after the owners of Sports Illustrated fired former CEO Ross Levinsohn after the outlet was accused of publishing AI-generated writing while using headshots of fake authors and creating bogus profiles.
The Arena Group Holdings, which owns the 79-year-old periodical, made the announcement after a board of directors meeting ‘to improve the operational efficiency and revenue of the company.’
Levinsohn, 59, had served as CEO and publisher of SI since 2019 and has run The Arena Group since 2020.
This year, Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady, Alix Earle, Ilhona Maher and Gayle King have all appeared on the cover of the magazine’s swimsuit edition.
King recently revealed a lot of people reached out to her after she posed for the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue recently.
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The images form part of ‘sitting sheets’ which are used by magazines to document a model’s outfit to be reported on later
US Olympian and Rugby star revealed as the next SI swimsuit model
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As they are not for public consumption, the Polaroids are said to feature parts of models which would not normally be printed
Christie Brinkley admits she didn’t ‘want to be in a bathing suit’
The CBS Mornings co-host said that after she stripped down at age 69 for the recent issue, which was unveiled in May, ‘so many women’ told her the same thing.
‘I’ve had so many women come up to me and say, ‘That was so brave,” she told People at the Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program on Tuesday.
‘Was it brave? I was just excited. That’s what it was for me,’ she said. ‘To show you that it’s 69 and feeling really fine.’
DailyMail.com has contacted Arena Group for comment.
