Kate Moss Reveals She Was Scared Of Mark Wahlberg During Infamous Photo Shoot
Kate Moss has been appearing in the spotlight recently, and this time she has admitted in an interview that she had been afraid of Mark Wahlberg during their infamous photoshoot.
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Model Kate Moss is claiming that she felt objectified and scared during her infamous 1992 Calvin Klein photo shoot with Mark Wahlberg because he was too “macho.” The statements came in a new interview with BBC Radio 4’s Lauren Laverne on her program Desert Island Discs and were put into context by Kerry Justich of Yahoo Life. In the interview, Moss touched on a number of subjects, from the recent Johnny Depp trial during which she testified, to her career, which led to her comments about Wahlberg. At the time, Wahlberg was amid his rap career and was hired to be the model for the Calvin Klein line of underwear. He was then asked to pair with Moss for a photoshoot.
“He was very macho and it was all about him and he had a big entourage,” Moss told BBC Radio. “And I was just this kind of model.” She said she felt objectified, vulnerable, and scared during the photoshoot, and said the entire episode was filled with “not very good memories.” Moss herself said she was only 17 at the time, and yet agreed to pose topless with a shirtless Mark Wahlberg for the photoshoot. The photos themselves became iconic, and Moss became one of the hottest models in the world, as the face of the “heroin chic” look that dominated the modeling world for much of the 1990s until common sense began to shift how young women are portrayed in advertising.
Despite her negative experience, Kate Moss doesn’t detail any particular offensive or inappropriate behavior from Mark Wahlberg, who himself was only about 21 at the time. At the time, he was rapping as part of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which included members Scott Gee, Hector “the Booty Inspector” Barros, DJ-T, and Ashey Ace. Their memorable hit, “Good Vibrations” made the Billboard Top 100 in 1991, while another song, “Wildside,” peaked at #10. Wahlberg was known for going shirtless on stage to show off his chiseled physique, which made him a perfect choice for Calvin Klein. Although Moss doesn’t detail any offensive behavior from Wahlberg, she said she had a nervous breakdown after the shoot. “I felt really bad about straddling this buff guy. I didn’t like it. I couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks. I thought I was going to die.”
Although Kate Moss seems to focus much of the blame on the “macho” Mark Wahlberg, it seems the real blame is better focused on the people around her. Despite only being 17 at the time, Calvin Klein directed Moss to pose topless with Wahlberg. “I think they played on my vulnerability. I was like quite young and innocent, so Calvin loved that,” she admits. Some of her reluctance to be too critical of Calvin Klein may be due to the fact that she still works with the fashion brand, and some of her models from her modeling agency have posed for some of their ad campaigns.
This isn’t the first time Kate Moss has talked about her negative experiences with the Calvin Klein photoshoot and working with Mark Wahlberg. In a 2017 interview, she talked about all of the negatives from her career, including the Wahlberg shoot, stating again that it caused a nervous breakdown but not detailing any bad behavior from the now 51-year-old actor. Instead, she does mention that photographer Corinne Day, whom she still calls a friend, encouraged her to go topless for the photos. It was a common request from Day, whom she trusted. Moss even says that in her infamous first photo shoot with Day, she convinced her to go topless, despite only being 16 at the time. Moss also revealed that she didn’t have immediate family with her on her photoshoots, to look out for her. Instead, she was living with her boyfriend and his mother, Francesca Sorrenti, despite being underage. She said Sorrenti often gave her doctor-prescribed valium for her anxiety and was using it in the days before the Wahlberg photoshoot.
In response to the past accusations from Kate Moss, Mark Wahlberg has tried to defend himself, without admitting to any inappropriate behavior or apologizing. In a 2020 interview, the Boogie Nights actor stated “I think I was probably a little rough around the edges. I wasn’t very… worldly, let’s say that.” Wahlberg would go on to become an actor later in the 1990s and earn two Academy Award nominations.
