Victoria’s Secret model Bridget Malcolm told to ‘do coke, have sex’ to lose weight

Former Victoria’s Secret model Bridget Malcolm has opened up about the dark side of fashion, revealing the extreme pressures she faced.

Former Victoria’s Secret model Bridget Malcolm has opened up about the dark side of the fashion industry, saying she was told to have sex and do coke to lose weight.

The Australian model, 29, revealed she sexually assaulted “multiple times” and urged to stay thin by “having lots of sex” and taking drugs.

In a revealing video posted to TikTok, Malcolm – who appeared in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2015 and 2016 – opened up about the depths of her torment.

“By the age of 18, I’d lived in three countries alone. I travelled to all continents except for Antarctica. I’d been groomed by a much older man. I’d been sexually assaulted multiple times,” Malcolm said, adding that she was “told to do cocaine to lose weight”.

‘Do cocaine to lose weight’. Bridget Malcolm at the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York. Picture: Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

The Aussie model says the fashion industry need to change. Picture: Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

The West Australian-raised model and activist – who has also appeared on the runway for Stella McCartney and Ralph Lauren – said she was under “a lot of pressure to lose weight by my agencies”, leading her to a downward spiral.

“I couldn’t socialise without drinking,” she said. “I was developing quite the reliance on Xanax and Ambien in order to get me through the night. And that was before I turned 18.

“Eight years later on my 26th birthday I had a nervous breakdown and I couldn’t leave my house for a year without panic attacks and severe anxiety. I also had a bout with suicidal ideation which was terrifying.

“That was four years ago.”

Bridget Malcolm with the bra she wore in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Picture: TikTok

Bridget Malcolm at the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion after-party in New York. Picture: Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Malcolm said she was a “strong believer that the fashion industry needs to change”.

“I am two-plus years sober. I’m four years in recovery from an eating disorder. I’m happy. I’m balanced. I’m strong and I feel the best I’ve ever felt,” she said.

“The reality is, I couldn’t talk about my experiences before I reached this place because I would have intense PTSD flashbacks. I would have panic attacks and I wouldn’t be okay.”

“I’m one of the lucky models. I was able to make a long career out of the fashion industry. But my job should not include abuse,” she said.

‘Sadness behind my eyes’ The Australian model backstage at Victoria’s Secret that same year. Picture: Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Last week, Malcolm posted another TikTok video in which she displayed the bra she had worn during her last Victoria’s Secret appearance.

“I found my bra from the 2016 Victoria’s Secret fashion show,” she captioned the clip. “It is a size 30A (8A), I am now a size 34B (12B) which is healthy for me.”

Malcolm reflected on a seemingly glamorous image of her in the bra, revealing much darker side to it in reality. “Look how big it was on me, the sadness behind my eyes from the 2016 show breaks my heart,” she said.

Bridget claims she was later “rejected” from the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Show by the brand’s then-chief marketing officer Ed Razek, and was told “my body did not look good enough”.