GOD LIFE: FORMER VICTORIA'S SECRET MODEL GIVES UP MODELING FOR GOD

AS SEEN IN NYPOST

“But I’m married! And completely in love with my husband,” I replied, refusing to meet.

During the Angel competition, I was encouraged to play down my marriage to Mike, because I was supposed to be flirting with everyone all the time. A lot of models don’t talk about their relationships unless they’re married to a celebrity, like Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom, which is more of a draw to the brand. [Kerr recently decided to hang up her Angel wings.]

After winning the competition, I signed with the top modeling agency in the world, IMG. Mike and I got an apartment in California, because that’s where a lot of the photo shoots are, but I was also flying to New York every other week for shoots there, too.

Kylie Bisutti made a stunning debut at the 2009 Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Two years later, she refused to pose provocatively.

One of the first shoots I was sent on was at a photographer’s studio in Brooklyn to help build my portfolio. They raved about his artistic work.

Mike stood outside while the photographer convinced me to slip on a nearly-sheer bikini.

“Don’t worry, we’ll Photoshop it if it’s too sheer,” he assured me.

I tried not to think too much about it, but a couple of weeks later, I was Googling myself and saw that the photos had been uploaded onto a porn site.

It was heartbreaking for me, but even more heartbreaking for Mike. He was furious at the photographer and called our lawyer.

IMG said they would handle it, and they encouraged us not to take action. They sent a cease-and-desist letter to the photographer.

A week after showing up on the porn site, my agency booked me with Maxim, and then FHM shortly after that. They were men’s magazines, not pornography, but they were still selling sex.

The day after that FHM shoot, I knew my life had to change. I told my agent that I wouldn’t model lingerie anymore. So, they sent me to bathing-suit shoots. Then, I got a call to do the famous Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. But looking through the magazine, those bikinis are sometimes skimpier than lingerie. So I turned that down, too.

Two years after I won the Angel Search, I realized I didn’t want to model anything that sold sex. At the time, a Victoria’s Secret lingerie show was airing on TV, and I was looking at Twitter and saw loads of tweets from women comparing themselves to the impossible image of the models.

It made me think back to earlier in my modeling career, when my 8-year-old cousin was watching me put on makeup and said to me, “I’m going to throw up my food so I look like you.” I realized my career was sending a bad message to women about confidence and body image.

I was traveling with my husband on a business trip and, from the hotel room, I sent out my own tweet.

“I quit being a VS model to be a Proverbs 31 wife.”

(Proverbs 31 talks about being a virtuous and capable wife that a husband can trust. It says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”)

I hadn’t modeled lingerie in months, but it was the first time I’d gone public with my reason. Surprisingly, my agent, who I hadn’t warned about the tweet, was supportive of my decision. The only backlash I got was from some models I know who felt judged by my decision who commented on my tweets.

Quitting modeling has probably cost me millions of dollars. Victoria’s Secret Angels have the longest careers in the business. Even after they stop modeling lingerie, they can go on to host TV shows, like Heidi Klum, or design clothes, like Gisele.

But I’ve never been more content. These days, I’m living in Montana with my husband. Mike is the best Italian cook, and just last night, we canned 40 jars of fresh pasta sauce.

I no longer restrict what I eat. I weigh 124 pounds right now, but my ideal weight is 125. I want young girls to see me at a healthy size.

After my infamous tweet, I turned down an offer to do “Dancing With the Stars” and an opportunity to act on a show on The CW because I didn’t think it was promoting the right message. I didn’t want to dance with a man other than my husband on the reality show or shoot scenes in a bikini for The CW.

Today, I’m focused on creating a Christian clothing line, speaking tours and my blog, imnoangel.org. My clothing line comes out next month, and it will feature models of all shapes and sizes promoting our modest clothes. I want girls to see people who look like them, so they feel good about themselves.

I’m also releasing my book, “I’m No Angel: From Victoria’s Secret Model to Role Model,” on May 14, which tells my story and spreads my message, which is that beauty isn’t about what you look like, it’s about what’s in your heart. That’s the most important thing.

 A MODEL..SPEAKING OF THE PROVERBS..WOW..

(Proverbs 31 talks about being a virtuous and capable wife that a husband can trust.