Woke Illustrated Swimsuit Model Kelly Hughes Is SI's First C-Section Model

Just when you thought Woke Illustrated had found all of the new inclusion frontiers, along comes the Swimsuit Issue editors to introduce a new find -- a C-section swimsuit model by the name of Kelly Hughes.

"We are proud to partner with @fridamom to celebrate all moms who bare C-Section scars by featuring @kellyhues in #SISwim22- the FIRST woman to expose her C-Section scar in magazine’s history!" editors wrote Wednesday announcing this huge news.

"@fridamom joined our #PayWithChange initiative to positively shift the mainstream cultural narratives associated with women’s bodies -– especially when becoming a mom.

"Let’s give some love to all our moms out there to acknowledge the power of the female body and the beauty of motherhood! 🤍"



Now, there's a good chance you have no idea what's going on here. Let me explain this whole Pay With Change thing Sports Illustrated introduced in January.

That's when SI announced the swimsuit issue would take advertising only from “brands who are helping drive gender equality forward” and that the iconic swimsuit issue is “changing the cost of doing business from a monetary value to a currency of doing good.”

That's right, Woke Illustrated added yet another layer of woke to its business model.

“All brands who prove they are creating change for women will be certified as a Changemaker, which is defined as a brand who has made, is making and will make progress for women by May 2022 when the annual SI Swimsuit Issue hits stands. Each changemaking brand will then be able to purchase a space within the print edition, which will only feature adverts showcasing the progress each brand is making to build equity for all women,” the magazine announced.

And now the 2022 SI Swimsuit magazine will feature a C-section model who doesn't model her C-section on her own Instagram page.

"I am speechless and so honored to be in @si_swimsuit 2022 as the FIRST woman to expose her c-section scar in magazines history!" Hughes wrote on her Instagram page.

"This partnership with @fridamom #paywithchange partnership to normalize and embrace the changes with a woman’s body especially when becoming a mom is so amazing to be a part of.

"I struggled with insecurities from my scar being that I’m a model and my incredibly difficult recovery but it wasn’t until I “embraced my scar that I experienced the true power in it (.)“

What's next this week after first introducing us to the WNBA players in their swimsuits and now a C-section model?

It's hard to get into the minds of the Woke Illustrated editors to determine what else they have up their sleeves, but you have to figure a C-section model isn't the last inclusivity moment for the 2022 edition. It feels like the SI wokes are just getting warmed up.

Written by
Joe Kinsey is the Senior Director of Content of OutKick and the editor of the Morning Screencaps column that examines a variety of stories taking place in real America. Kinsey is also the founder of OutKick’s Thursday Night Mowing League, America’s largest virtual mowing league. Kinsey graduated from University of Toledo.