The “Glamour” No One Mentions on Instagram
So, PEOPLE caught up with some of the SI Swimsuit stars – the actual women, not just the photoshopped ideals – during 2026 Super Bowl week. And if you think their lives are all private jets and champagne toasts, you’re only half right. The other half? It’s a whole lot messier. Like, literally.
Camille Kostek, who, let’s be real, is just radiating joy all the time, she drops this gem: “I’ve totally peed in the ocean before.” Not exactly “America’s Sweetheart” material, maybe, but it’s real. And then she ups the ante, mentioning peeing in bushes. Plural. As in, multiple bushes. This isn’t just a one-off desperate moment, folks. This is a recurring theme. You gotta wonder, what kind of remote, no-facilities locations are we talking about here? And what are the local wildlife thinking when a supermodel squats down next to their favorite berry patch? I mean, who hasn’t had a roadside emergency, but this is like, a high-fashion roadside emergency.
And it’s not just Camille. Christen Harper, another stunner, chimes in with her own tale of bladder woe. She remembers a shoot where they were on a boat, offshore, for hours. No bathroom on board. You know what that means. “We had to like, jump in the ocean and just pee in the ocean.” She says it with a laugh, but you can almost feel the cold shock of the water, the desperate look around to see if anyone’s watching. It’s not the kind of “plunge into the ocean” moment you see in the magazine, is it? It’s more like a “survival skills” segment.
The thing is, we see these flawless images, right? The wind blowing just so, the sun hitting at the perfect angle, not a hair out of place. And you just assume everything leading up to that shot is equally pristine. But here’s the kicker: it’s not. It’s sweaty. It’s sandy. It’s probably got sand in places you don’t even want to think about. And yeah, it sometimes involves discreetly relieving yourself in the nearest body of water.
The Butt Glue Chronicles
But wait, there’s more. Because if you thought peeing in the ocean was the wildest thing, let’s talk about the unsung hero of the SI Swimsuit Edition: butt glue. Yes, you read that right. Butt. Glue.
Brooks Nader, who’s been around the SI block a few times, is basically the Butt Glue Whisperer. She says, “We put a lot of butt glue on, especially if you’re like, running and doing active stuff.” This is not just for static poses, people. This is for action shots. For when you’re mid-stride, leaping through the waves, and you absolutely, positively cannot have your bikini bottoms decide to take a vacation of their own.
“The suits are like, painted on us. It’s insane.” – Katie Austin on the dedication to keeping bikinis in place.
Katie Austin backs her up, saying, “The suits are like, painted on us. It’s insane.” She even mentioned how, when she first started, she didn’t know about butt glue and, let’s just say, she learned the hard way that a rogue wave can be a real wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. It’s a small detail, this butt glue, but it completely shatters the illusion. You think these suits just magically stay put? Nah. It’s industrial-strength adhesive keeping those tiny scraps of fabric where they belong. It’s not glamorous, it’s practical. It’s the gritty reality of making magic happen.
So, What Does This Actually Mean?
I mean, look, on one hand, it’s kind of hilarious. These women, who look like they’ve descended from some Olympian realm, are out there, just like the rest of us, dealing with basic bodily functions in inconvenient places. It humanizes them in a way that all the “I’m just like you” platitudes never could. It tells you that even in the most aspirational, highly produced settings, life finds a way to remind you that you’re just a person.
But on the other hand, it’s also a testament to their dedication. Think about it. They’re out there, often in scorching heat, with a massive crew watching, probably feeling the pressure of millions of eyes that will eventually see these photos. They’re uncomfortable, they’re probably itchy from sand and sweat, and they’re holding poses for ages. And then, when nature calls, they’re not asking for a five-star restroom. They’re figuring it out. They’re problem-solving. They’re committed to getting the shot, no matter how un-glamorous the process actually is.
This whole thing, it reminds me of any job that looks easy from the outside. You see the finished product – the perfect magazine spread, the flawlessly executed event, the delicious meal – and you rarely think about the early mornings, the late nights, the mistakes, the compromises, the sheer grit and sometimes grossness that went into making it. These models aren’t just pretty faces; they’re professionals. They’re putting in the work, even when that work involves a quick dip in the ocean for an unscheduled pit stop.
My Honest Take
Honestly? I have a newfound respect for these women. It’s not just about looking good; it’s about enduring, adapting, and basically just being a good sport while you’re covered in sand, sweat, butt glue, and maybe a little ocean water from your last, ahem, “dip.” It makes the final images even more impressive, knowing what went on behind the scenes. It’s not just a beautiful picture; it’s a beautiful picture that probably involved someone crouching behind a palm tree or treading water strategically.
It’s a reminder that authenticity, even if it’s a little gross, always wins. And if that means a supermodel has to pee in the ocean to get the perfect shot, then by God, she’s gonna pee in the ocean. The glamour is in the grit, I guess. And maybe, just maybe, it’s a little bit in the butt glue too.
