Linda Evangelista settles lawsuit over cosmetic procedure that left her ‘permanently deformed’
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Linda Evangelista has settled a lawsuit over a cosmetic procedure which she claims left her “permanently deformed” and “destroyed her livelihood”.
The supermodel sued Zeltiq, the company which markets CoolSculpting – an FDA-cleared fat-freezing treatment – for $50m (£4m) in September 2021.
At the time, she alleged the procedure had done “the opposite of what it promised” and increased her fat cells.
In an update shared to Instagram on Tuesday (19 July), Evangelista said she has settled the legal action against Zeltiq.
“I’m pleased to have settled the CoolSculpting case. I look forward to the next chapter of my life with friends and family, and am happy to put this matter behind me,” Evangelista wrote.
“I am truly grateful for the support I have received from those who have reached out.”
She did not disclose the details of the settlement.
The CoolSculpting procedure works by freezing and killing fat cells, which are then eliminated by the body.
After undergoing the treatment, Evangelista was diagnosed with paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH), a rare side effect that affects less than one percent of CoolSculpting patients.
This is when the fatty tissue becomes larger and forms a firm, enlarged mass under the skin.
Evangelista claimed that she had not been made aware of the risk of developing PAH prior to undergoing the treatment.
“PAH has not only destroyed my livelihood, it has sent me into a cycle of deep depression, profound sadness, and the lowest depths of self-loathing. In the process, I have become a recluse,” she wrote in September.
The news of the settlement follows Evangelista’s return to modelling this week for the first time since the procedure.
On Saturday, she shared a photograph of herself from a new Fendi campaign which sees her carrying the brand’s iconic Baguette handbag while wearing multiple pink satin hats.
