Every year, Sports Illustrated brings together a stunning group of women for its swim issue. From Padma Lakshmi rocking a bikini decades after she anticipated to Megan Fox and Martha Stewart being part of 2023’s shoot, to Jordan Chiles putting on swimwear for 2025’s issue, there’s always a diverse group recruited each year, and often, they get candid about what it’s like to be part of this iconic pop culture moment. This year, Hilary Duff was one of the cover models, and she got real about not feeling model-worthy and the urge to get in “rip-roaring shape.”
Looking at Duff’s SI cover, it’s clear that she’s in excellent shape, and she looks drop-dead gorgeous. However, going into the experience, the actress got candid about why she didn’t feel the urge to say yes immediately. Recalling what she was thinking when the call from Sports Illustrated came in, Duff told Kylie Kelce on Not Gonna Lie:
