Chanel Iman opens up about the dark side of the fashion and modeling world in the latest episode of Special Forces, revealing: “You’re exposed to everything from sex to drugs to people who try to get you to do certain things.”
Supermodel Chanel Iman may look like she stepped straight off a high-fashion runway, but she’s trading the glamour for the grit on Season 4 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
In an exclusive preview clip from tonight’s episode, Iman, 34, opens up to the Directing Staff (DS) — consisting of Jason “Foxy” Fox and Jovon “Q” Charles — about the harsh realities of the modeling world.
“I came in fashion at a time where the trend wasn’t my look, where I was from,” said the Victoria’s Secret model, referring to being Black.
“Yeah, like that’s not what fashion houses wanted at the time, you know?” she continued. “A lot of people have told me no. You know, over and over again.”
“That must be tough,” responded Fox, who then asked, “Do you enjoy the industry itself?”
“I mean, I think the breakthrough moments make you stay in, but I do take breaks from my industry all the time just because I need to be mentally, just stable,” replied Iman.
The stunning 34-year-old model is just one of the celebrities who signed up for the brutal military training as seen in Special Forces, which this season takes place in the punishing conditions of Morocco. Since taking the plunge, Iman has been all about proving she’s more than just a pretty face, putting her physical and emotional endurance to the ultimate test. But the runway has its dark side, too, which has challenged her emotions in a different way — and it’s something she’s experienced since her teen years.
“I started modeling when I was 12 or 13. Being in an industry, you just start seeing things very early on,” she revealed in a confessional. “You’re exposed to everything, from sex to drugs to people who try to get you to do certain things.”
“Back in my day, models were mutes,” she continued. “The way that I was kind of raised in the industry, you don’t speak on anything negative that you see, you see everything as positive.”
Catch the rest of Iman’s emotional confession and how she handles the next grueling challenge during the next episode of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
New episodes of Special Forces air Thursday @ 9/8c on FOX and stream the next day on Hulu.
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