Cheyenne Tozzi: Why I left the world of modelling behind

She was touted as the next Elle Macpherson when she graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar at 13, but a phone call from home brought Cheyenne Tozzi’s glittering modelling career to a halt.

She was touted as the next Elle Macpherson when she graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar at 13.

And while some critics claim she never quite made it to the top, model Cheyenne Tozzi disagrees, saying she simply has her priorities right.

A mother with cancer and an unbreakable bond with her big Italian family meant modelling had to take the back seat in the midst of her prime.

Former top model Cheyenne Tozzi with her daughter Dahlia De La Lune. Picture Carlotta Moye

After that Harper’s cover she graced the fronts of every major glossy mag, was a Next Top Mode mentor, worked for luxury brands. and enjoyed an impressive career as an inter­national model. Along the way came friendships with the ­famous and the rich.

However in 2013, Tozzi got a phone call — her mum was diagnosed with cancer. Her modelling career came to an abrupt halt.

“Would life probably have been different? For sure,” Tozzi said.

“And I probably would have had a faster paced life.

“If you are working overseas and you find out your mum has bowel cancer, you are going home. If you find out she has four brain ­tumours, you are going home.

“It is family. There is nothing more important.

“All I wanted was my mum’s spaghetti and a laugh over the dinner table. The simple life.

Tozzi with fellow Aussie model Lara Bingle. Picture: Instagram

On the cover of Harper’s Bazaar at the age of 13.

“After mum got sick, I didn’t care about the industry.

“People say, ‘She didn’t make it’. But I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.

“My mum is alive right now. I have my baby girl. My big afghan dogs and my fish are alive. I’ve got everything I need.

“My mum’s health and family come first to me. Everyone has their own little path in life. I am proud of myself. I am happy and I am still going.”

While she may not have emulated her career, she did find a lifelong friend in Macpherson, who is her daughter Dahlia’s godmother.

“She is such a legend. She is so supportive. Dahli is always wanting to go to Elle’s house because she has all the trampolines,” she said.

You won’t see that friendship on social media, or Tozzi’s blessed life on Instagram. She refuses to buy into the hype of social media, and keeps her private life just that.

“People probably say “oh my god, poor Cheyenne Tozzi, she is probably sitting in the corner of a room doing nothing. But that’s not the case. I am having a hell of a time,” she said.

Tozzi’s days are now spent collecting coral at the beach with her three-year-old daughter, who she shares with her ex-partner, Brazilian model Marlon Teixeira.

“You can tell from the sparkle she has in her little eyes when she looks at me and the bond we have, she is happy so I am happy,” she said.

Tozzi is now putting her ­energy into a music career, and working with charities, including For You Haiti, the UN women of Australia, and the Charlie Teo foundation.

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