Gemma Ward Admits Faking Her Identity

Gemma Ward is no stranger to a Vogue Australia cover, but the supermodel admits she's grown up a lot since she last graced the pages of the magazine.

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Ward gave birth to daughter Naia in 2013, which she says has "changed her life" for the better.

"She's my reason to live and my reason to grow as a person," she told The Morning Show at the time.

"I feel like I'm more carefree, but I also have direction and she just brings so much warmth to my family," she also added.

Today, Ward tells Vogue she's much happier in her own skin - and apologized to fans for faking her identity when she was younger.

"I'd say that it definitely wasn't me (when fans approached)," Ward admitted.

"I feel really bad about that now. If they're out there, I'm sorry.

"I might still have a bad morning and claim to be my cousin. But I am definitely much more accepting of myself and that is why I'm not hiding as much."

For years, Ward shunned the spotlight after the death of close friend Heath Ledger, a move she says was necessary at the time.

"I think a lot of my leaving modelling was trying to search for something spiritual, in a funny way, and so there's been a lot of delving deep into that world and then coming out and then gaining and losing and gaining again," she tells Vogue.

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"I feel like all of those experiences I've had on that level have been the most important for me, to pull me out of what I was going through."