Naomi Campbell has been in the spotlight ever since she was discovered on the streets of London at the age of 15. She became the first black model to grace the covers of various magazines, including Time and Vogue. We’ve seen her make television and movie appearances and give countless interviews, but there’s still so much we don’t know about the iconic supermodel.
Here are some things you never knew about Naomi Campell.
She always felt like a grownup
Naomi told The Guardian that even when she was a little girl, she always felt like a grownup in a child’s body. At the age of five, she would hop on a bus and two trains all by herself to attend the Barbara Speake Stage School in west London every day.
She became a supermodel at the age of 15, and she told the SF Gate website that experiencing fame at such an early age really messed her up. She said, “[It] causes you to become a permanent child. You definitely need a shrink standing by.”
Where the surname Campbell came from
Her mom married a man named Cliff Campbell in the 80s, and Naomi took on his last name during her early years.
She also gained a new stepbrother, Cliff’s son from a previous relationship, EastEnders actor Richard Blackwood (picture, right). The marriage between Naomi’s mom and stepdad ended after seven years, but she and Richard are still cordial with one another.
Feeling abandoned
Her mother, Valerie Morris, was reportedly abandoned by Naomi’s biological father during her pregnancy. And she gave birth to Naomi when she was only 19. Valerie was a professional dancer who lived in Italy and Switzerland, so Naomi lived at her grandmother’s house up until the age of 12.
During a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey (via the Independent), Naomi revealed she felt abandoned by her mom. The time they spent apart made the supermodel realize that material possessions aren’t the only things kids need, sometimes they need their biological mother as well.
Because her mom wasn’t around, Naomi said she tried desperately to build her own family. This is why she created tight bonds with many influential people, including Quincy Jones and the late Nelson Mandela.
Her interesting diet
How does she manage to keep her waist snatched and her body on point? She told UK talk show Lorraine that she eats when she feels like it. There are some days when she doesn’t feel like eating, especially when it’s really hot outside. So she’ll drink water or some juice instead.
She also does the Master Cleanse lemonade diet three times a year, and the longest she ever went without eating was 18 days. On the days she does eat, she usually sticks to veggies and she completes a juice cleanse two or three times per week.
Dealing with stage fright
In 2001, Naomi was asked to appear in the play The Vagina Monologues. She was so nervous to get on stage, she told the SF Gate she threw up just thinking about acting in front of a large crowd.
She also revealed that she has a fear of “getting up in front of other people.” So how has she been able to strut her stuff down the runway for so many years? Naomi told the publication that when she’s on the runway, she looks straight into the bright lights at the end of the catwalk so she doesn’t have to look at all the faces in the crowd.
She’s too trusting
After her two-year relationship with Flavio Briatore came to an end, Naomi claimed she left the Italian businessman after he put his hands on her. She said she had managed to stay friends with most of her exes, but he was one person she could never forgive.
The end of that relationship also made her realize that she’s way too trusting of people. She told SF Gate, “I think someone really loves me because I’m a human being, only to learn that to him I’m a trophy.”
She gave more insight into the end of that relationship in a 2002 interview with Marie Claire (via Hello! magazine), where she said Flavio had unreasonable expectations. She stated, “If you expect me to be in the kitchen cooking breakfast in high heels, looking as though I just stepped out of a fashion magazine, it’s not going to happen.”
Infertility & her baby dreams
Ever since she hit her 30s, Naomi made it clear that she was ready to start a family. But she told People magazine she was infertile up until 2008.
After doctors discovered what they thought was a cyst, she underwent a four-hour surgery to have it removed. Thankfully, the operation was a success, but she wasn’t going to just have a baby with anyone.
She told the Standard in 2008 that she didn’t want to have a baby on her own because she didn’t want to raise the child the way she was raised. She added, “Look, my mother did an amazing job but I would like to try it in the traditional way.”
Which of these facts about Naomi Campbell shocked you the most? Leave your answer down below!