Linda Evangelista has revealed why she has been a recluse for the past five years, confessing to her nearly one million Instagram followers via a statement that she was "brutally disfigured" half a decade ago.
MORE: Linda Evangelista gives her opinion on the new generation of supermodels
"Today I took a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years," the statement began.
WATCH: Supermodels bare all for Mario Testino shoot
"To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers' careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltiq's CoolSculpting procedure which did the opposite of what it promised.
READ: New mom Naomi Campbell celebrates special occasion with star-studded photo
RELATED: Claudia Schiffer sunbathes inside lush green gardens of her LA home - and it is beautiful
"It increased, not decreased, my fat cells and left me permanently deformed even after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful corrective surgeries. I have been left, as the media described, 'unrecognizable'."
© Photo: Getty ImagesLinda in one of her last public appearances in 2015
The supermodel, 56, who once famously said, "I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day," continued: "I have developed Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia or PAH, a risk of which I was not made aware before I had the procedures.
"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. With this lawsuit, I am moving forward to rid myself of my shame, and going public with my story," Linda added.
She concluded her statement by saying: "I'm so tired of living this way. I would like to walk out my door with my head held high, despite not looking like myself any longer."
© Photo: InstagramThe star last shared a personal picture of herself in 2019
Linda has continued to be active on her social media accounts for the past years, but has mainly posted throwback images of herself, her family and friends.
Her last selfie was published in 2019, when she and her family spent the summer in Canada.
