Suni Lee responds to criticism she's 'not a real model'

Olympic champion Suni Lee has directly addressed online criticism again following her appearance at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in October.

The 22-year-old gymnast hit the runway in October wearing a playful Victoria’s Secret Pink look, marking her first major step into modeling.

Soon after, she faced backlash from commenters who said she didn’t look like a “real model” because of her height.

Although the gymnast did hit back at the time via her socials, Lee recently addressed the online hate again while attending the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City.

 “A lot of people were mad because I’m not tall and skinny or wasn’t considered a real model,” she told PEOPLE. “At the end of the day, I was there and they weren’t. I was really happy to be there, and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from me.”

After the show, Lee posted with a tongue-in-cheek TikTok set to Ariana Grande’s Successful.

The gymnast, who became the first Hmong-American to win Olympic gold, joined several new faces for the second Victoria’s Secret show since the brand’s 2019 rebrand. 

She also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit earlier this year, where she discussed body image, resilience, and her ongoing health struggles.

“This is the first time I’ve really taken a break from gymnastics,” said Lee, who has been managing an incurable kidney disease. “Diving into something different has been really new, but also one of the best experiences of my life.”