Supermodel Linda Evangelista has settled her $50 million CoolSculpting lawsuit after claiming she had been left "permanently deformed" following the fat-reduction procedure.
The 57-year-old said on Tuesday that she is looking forward to “a new chapter” in her life and thanked her friends and family for their support in a new Instagram post.
Sharing the statement on social media, she wrote: “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. I am truly grateful for the support I have received from those who have reached out.”
Evangelista had sought $50 million (£41.85 million) in damages, claiming that she had been left “brutally disfigured” by Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc’s CoolSculpting procedure.
The runway star also alleged that the treatment, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “did the opposite of what it promised” and left her “unrecognisable”.
CoolSculpting, which is the brand name for cryolipolysis, is also known as body contouring, and uses below freezing temperatures to reduce fat deposits, which causes cell death in the tissue.
Zeltiq, which is a subsidiary of Allergan, markets and licenses devices used for such procedures.
The Evening Standard has contacted Allergan for comment.
Last year, the Canadian model opened up about her experience and claimed that she was forced to get “two painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries” following the procedure six years ago.
“It has sent me into a cycle of deep depression, profound sadness and the lowest depths of self-loathing,” she wrote on Instagram in September 2021. “In the process, I have become a recluse.”
Evangelista added that her livelihood had been ruined: “I am moving forward to rid myself of my shame, and going public with me story.
“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.”
Evangelista rose to fame in the 1990s and was one of a group of emerging supermodels including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington.
Elsewhere, the fashion star celebrated her return to modelling on Saturday by sharing a photo of her from a recent Fendi campaign on social media.
In the image, Evangelista could be seen wearing multiple pink satin hats and bags by the luxury fashion house in honour of the 25-year anniversary of the Fendi baguette bag.
Captioning the post, she penned: “On September 9 2022 @Fendi will host a special fashion show in New York City to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the #FendiBaguette, designed by @silviaventurinifendi, and two years since @mrkimjones joined the Maison as Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear. #Fendi.”
