Kate Upton is back.
The spouse of pitcher Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros has made a comeback to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, joining Hunter McGrady, Chrissy Teigen, and Gayle King.
Yu Tsai photographed Upton during the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue photography in Mexico. For the cover photo, Kate Upton wore a pink and red two-piece swimsuit by Normaillot.
Upton made waves upon her 2012 Swim debut. “The unexpected backlash over her body type prompted the brand to reevaluate who should be featured on future covers,” the outlet reflected. “It feels fitting to have the catalyst for so much change back in a publication that now celebrates women from all walks of life, like a homecoming.”
Although this is Chrissy Teigen’s seventh appearance in Swim overall, it is her second time as a cover model. In 2014, Teigen was featured on the cover of the magazine for the 50th time.
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Hunter McGrady debuted on a cover this year after being found in 2016 via SI Swim’s Model Search. Eight months after giving birth, she photographed her cover, which she revealed to People.
“It was such a surreal moment,” McGrady said. “I automatically thought back to little me and what that would mean to me, seeing somebody like me on the cover of any magazine, let alone Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. It’s huge.”
2011 saw Kate Upton make her SI Swimsuit debut and won Rookie of the Year. The 31-year-old mother appeared on her first solo cover in 2012 and then again in 2013. She first debuted on the flip cover in 2014, and then she returned in 2017.
Kate Upton Becomes Fan Favorite With Houston Astros Fan Base
Astros fans wasted no time Tuesday welcoming Kate Upton back to Houston after the team re-acquired her husband, three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, from the Mets ahead of the MLB trade deadline in 2023.
The future Hall of Famer, who helped the Astros win the World Series in 2017 and 2022, is a legend here, and Upton might be even more so.
Upton is known for rocking classic Astros jerseys and jackets that have fans itching to find the threads. Plus, she’s not shy about giving the finger to opposing fans.
