Erin Heatherton Opens Up About Her Struggles With Body Image

Erin Heatherton was a Victoria’s Secret Angel for five years, dated Hollywood super-hunk Leonardo DiCaprio in 2011 and is a successful model in her own right.

RELATED: Cara Delevingne pens powerful essay on why she quit modelling

Yet the 27-year old isn’t immune to body image issues, with the star taking to Instagram overnight to express her struggle.

"I was struggling with my body image and the pressures to fulfill the demands of perfectionism upon me," she wrote alongside a snap of herself wearing a tshirt that reads ‘Empowered by failure’. "I am not perfect. Through this struggle, however, I found the strength to love myself. I stood in my power. I look back on that moment now, and I embrace it."

Heatherton went on to explain that she’d taken a hiatus from modelling to get her sense of self back.

“This feeling I once perceived as “failure” was, in truth, a powerful awakening for me to stand behind my purpose in life. I stepped away from hiding behind a fabricated version of myself. I no longer put actions behind my fears and insecurities. I made a choice to redirect my energy to be a catalyst for change. To create a channel for women to become the truest versions of themselves, along with me. (Stay tuned for more...) In the end, if you aren’t being true to yourself, then what the fuck is the point.”

Just last week, Cara Delevingne issued a similar sentiment, saying she’d given up modelling due to constantly feeling like a failure.

The model added that getting whipped up into the industry had distorted her perspective on what she really wanted in life. She was feeling unfulfilled in her work and the pressures of the image-conscious fashion world, where she never felt good enough, no matter how hard she worked.

"Yes, your career is very important—but it’s not the most important,” Delevingne wrote in an open essay. “Of course I was proud of my accomplishments, but I wasn’t genuinely happy. I knew I had to reevaluate my life and my goals for my future. I didn’t want to resent fashion or my success. The process didn’t happen overnight, but it was imperative for me to preserve my integrity."

While the conversation around body image is slowly improving, it’s high time the modelling industry took action.