Kate Upton has a lot of things to be proud of. The 19-year-old model has starred in Guess? Clothing campaigns and the Victoria Secret fashion show. She was in “Tower Heist” with Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy (okay, maybe not proud of this one) and was voted 2011 Rookie Of the Year for her body paint pictures in last years Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Now, the Michigan native can go one better than SI Rookie of the Year as she has just been revealed as the SI Swimsuit Edition Cover Girl for 2012.
Wearing a red string bikini that barely contains her curves, the blonde knock out proves she had everything that it took to win the coveted title as SI Cover Girl—she takes well to airbrushing and is able to make paunchy office workers like me seethe with jealousy.
Upton, who is represented by IMG Models, was long rumored to be the cover girl of this year’s Swimsuit Edition, but the cover was not supposed to be revealed until the Late Show with David Letterman aired tonight. However, TMZ is reporting that a gas station in Michigan received the issue early and pictures of the leaked cover spread like wildfire last night.
After her taping with David Lettermen today, the cover was revealed in a huge time square billboard and the reps at Sports Illustrated took to Twitter to congratulate the blonde beauty. “Your #SISwim 2012 cover girl, @KateUpton outside the @Late_Show with her just-revealed cover!!!!!!!! #KateUpton”
Upton could see her career launched by this job, as SI Cover girls often become household names. But the model says she’s hoping that she doesn’t get pigeonholed into wearing a bikini the rest of her life, “If I get pegged as a bikini girl, that’s fine, and that can still translate into acting or other areas,” Upton told Esquire in 2011 after her first appearance in Sports Illustrated. “But, no, I don’t want to be doing bikini shoots my whole life.”
I say, Upton, who’s been romantically linked to NY Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez, should run with the bikini, or in it (you can thank me later boys). God knows how many of us girls would kill to look half as good.
