Adriana Lima was just as shocked as fans when she saw the photos of herself at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in November.
After initially shutting down claims of plastic surgery and clapping back at fans who said her face looked “swollen” and “unrecognizable,” Lima, 42, admitted in a recent Harper’s Bazaar Arabia interview that she was taken aback by her appearance.
“I was in shock when I saw [the photos]. I was like, ‘That’s not me.’ Everything was strange because I don’t see myself like that. I still don’t see myself like that … you can see yourself differently,” she told the publication.
“I didn’t get offended or anything, though — I was laughing. The point is, I am not 16 years old. I started modeling at 16 but I will never be 16 again. I’m 42, and I’m the happiest I’ve been; the happiest with myself. I embrace my age and I will not change for anyone.”
The day after the premiere, Lima responded to critics with a makeup-free Instagram selfie, explaining, “The face of a tired mom of one teenage girl, two preteens, one active boy, a 1 year old learning to walk, and three dogs… thanks for your concern.”
Lima is mother to daughters Sienna, 11, and Valentina, 14, whom she shares with ex-husband Marko Jarić. She also welcomed her son Cyan in August 2022 with boyfriend Andre Lemmers.
At the premiere in question, Lima was joined by Lemmers, 42, her two daughters, and Lemmers’ children Miah and Lupo.
In the same Harper’s Bazaar Arabia interview, Lima said she worries about how the latest onslaught of public criticism of her appearance will impact her children.
“My concern about this is not for me, it’s for my children because they were with me, they saw me and then this stuff comes out,” she explained. “I don’t want them to feel the pressure to look a certain way because of other people. If they do that to me, how will they be safe? And the truth is, I don’t think anyone is safe because people are always criticizing.”
Lima has always felt an intense sense of protectiveness over her children. In a 2016 interview with Vogue, Lima revealed the many worries she experiences as a mother.
“When you first become a mom, everything has to be perfect and delicate, and you’re anxious about every little thing [your kids] do,” Lima said at the time. “I would have put them in bubble wrap if it wouldn’t have made me look like a crazy person. I still always want to protect them, but I know they are resilient girls.”
