Chrissy Teigen, Swimsuit Model, Can't Swim

Celebrity Sightings in New York City - May 14, 2016

(Image credit: XPX/Star Max)

published 30 January 2019

Listen—times have changed in the 30-plus years since Chrissy Teigen was a kid. (Also, Chrissy and I were kids at the same time, so clearly we're destined to be BFFs.) She and John Legend give honest, revealing looks into their lives with kids Luna and Miles, particularly all the ways they're working to give them healthy, normal childhoods. But Chrissy also just gave us a 30-year throwback into her own childhood, including the intense stories her mom used to read her when she was young.

In the video, shared on Instagram and Twitter, Chrissy reads aloud to Luna one of her childhood books. It's about a winged creature who tries to fly too high, and gets halfway up a mountain before falling down to the ground and dying. The moral of the story? "Doing things beyond your ability never brings good." Way harsh, Tai.

learning a lot about myself from the stories my mom used to read to me pic.twitter.com/H2bdDly0NHJanuary 30, 2019

Obviously Chrissy didn't take the lesson too much to heart, considering she became a super-successful top model, author, actress, and social media influencer. Also, she's said her mom was totally supportive of her—so maybe the book was to balance things out? I remember kids books being kind of scary when I was a kid, though, (just Google "Puff the Magic Dragon book") so maybe it's just a sign of the changing times.

Another big insight into her childhood? Apparently Chrissy never learned how to swim! Legend posted on Twitter about how he was finally taking lessons as an adult to learn the skill, several months after his kids had started lessons as well. Chrissy responded in trademark hilarious fashion:

wow so y’all just gonna let me dieJanuary 29, 2019

Considering Chrissy used to be, I dunno, a SWIMSUIT model who was constantly near the ocean and bodies of water for photoshoots, this is magically ironic.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.