Third time’s a charm! Kate Upton has landed the cover of the 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
The 24-year-old model was revealed as the star on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, February 14.
It’s the third time Upton has featured on the cover of the magazine that kick-started her career in 2011, when she was named Rookie of the Year.
To celebrate, the coveted publication has produced three different covers, one of which caused Kimmel to question whether her revealing outfit was even swimwear.
“Is that really a swimsuit you’re wearing?” he asked. “Because it seems just like a hammock that got torn to bits.”
Upton, who was on the cover in 2012 and 2013, played along with the joke and said: “I’m pretty sure it’s just a rope. It’s apparently Sports Illustrated nude magazine.”
Wow, so honored and excited to be back with @SI_Swimsuit in an issue that celebrates beauty and confidence in all shapes & sizes!#siswim17 https://t.co/lSPBtcK5Wo
— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) February 15, 2017
She was thrilled to have made it onto the cover again and took to Twitter to gush about what it means to her.
“Wow, so honored and excited to be back with @SI_Swimsuit in an issue that celebrates beauty and confidence in all shapes and sizes!” she wrote.
The big reveal comes just one week after it was claimed Upton was being a diva over the cover shoot.
EXCLUSIVE: Watch Kate Upton’s reaction backstage after seeing her 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit covers https://t.co/boqi9tW68D pic.twitter.com/LIrZxxDvSu
— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 15, 2017
Page Six reported the blonde bombshell was on the brink of being cut because of her alleged diva behavior, but it appears all is well between the model and the magazine.
Several other celebrities are gracing the pages of the Sports Illustrated issue, which hits stands on Wednesday, February 15.
As Us Weekly reported, Hannah Davis posed in a bikini for the issue just weeks after learning she was pregnant and expecting her first child with Derek Jeter.
Christie Brinkley also returned to the magazine at the age of 63, with her daughters, Alexa Ray and Sailor.
Check out Upton’s covers above.
