45 years have passed since the world’s first supermodel, Cheryl Tiegs, tempted men’s hearts with her iconic pink bikini billboard image.
Since then, she has appeared on the covers of numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated, Vogue, Glamour, and Time.
Later, she used her fame to advocate for saving our planet while still putting her health and happiness first.
However, despite her record of charitable giving, Tiegs is not without controversy.
Tiegs, 75, who grew up in Alhambra, a community close to Pasadena, began her career as a model when a friend made the suggestion.
‘I thought models were from another planet, and it was just out of the question,’ Tiegs remarked, adding that she gradually pursued modeling while at school.
She mostly performed at parking lot fashion shows for department stores, initially for free and subsequently for $5 an hour,
which she later said was ‘great money for me at the time.’ I was overjoyed. I simply put in a lot of effort and did everything I could.
When Tiegs was just 17 years old, Glamour magazine spotted her in a multi-page swimsuit spread and immediately hired her for a shoot on the
island of St. Thomas without having even met her. As a result, she began receiving regular work from Glamour and was recognized on a
global scale, which led to her making her first professional appearance on the cover of Teen magazine in 1966.
In addition, Tiegs appeared on three covers of Time, including the All-American Model issue from 1978,
and three swimsuit editions of Sports Illustrated in 1970, 1975, and 1983. She was also listed among the 100 Sexiest Women Ever by Men’s Health in 2012.
‘I don’t know exactly what it’s like today, but I think that it’s much more catered to the models,’ Tiegs stated in reference to her early modeling career.
It just wasn’t like that; now they get considerably more attention. ‘People magazine wasn’t even around when I first started modeling,’
she continued. CNN and Entertainment Tonight did not exist. There were no cell phones, Twitter, or Facebook either. Therefore, it was only the present. I loved that it was more present-oriented.
With her first TV appearance in a 1986 episode of Moonlighting, which also starred Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis, Tiegs made the leap from modeling to acting in the 1980s.
Additionally, she appeared in Just Shoot Me and Family Guy. Later, she appeared in Rupaul’s Drag Race (2011),
and in 2012, she competed on Celebrity Apprentice, where she represented the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, which promotes cancer research and awareness.
Additionally, Tiegs co-starred in The Brown Bunny in 2003 alongside Chlöe Sevigny, and in Sharknado 4: The Fourth Awakens in 2016.
‘When I was modeling, the majority of the girls went on to become actresses because it made sense. I basically made the decision that I didn’t want to be an actress.
She later added being a mother and a wife to her resume.Tiegs began a new adventure with photographer and artist Peter Beard, whom she married in 1981.
Tiegs was previously married to filmmaker Stan Dragoti, famed for the 1983 movie Mr. Mom, from 1970 until 1979.
The couple spent a lot of time at Beard’s ranch in Kenya during the following few years. Because ‘it brought me up to another
level in life and taught me so much about the animal kingdom and nature,’ she claims that this period
provided her with the “most amazing” experiences. Actually, it was among my most significant adventures.
He was, I have to say, the most passionate love of my life, according to Tiegs, who divorced Beard in 1983,
when the renowned photographer passed away in 2020. I will always be grateful to him for making me fall madly in love. She continues, ‘I’ve always loved him.’
After her three-year union with Beard came to an end, the stunning supermodel wed Anthony Peck, the illustrious Gregory Peck’s son.
She shared childcare duties with Peck for their first child, Zachary (born in 1991), who is now an actor.
She divorced Peck in 1995, after which she wed yoga instructor Rod Stryker (1998–2001). Despite her claim that their union ‘doesn’t count,’
since ‘it was so not a marriage,’ the couple’s twin sons Jaden and Theo were born via surrogacy in 2001.
Tiegs focused on the environment because she cared about children and wanted to provide them a future. Her charitable endeavors include raising
awareness of global warming, promoting women’s reproductive rights, and serving on the board of the Earth Conservation Corps in Washington, D.C.
‘The size of the world is decreasing. You can’t simply be an isolated entity and expect to make a difference,
so I think we have to reach out and be allies with all of our friends throughout the world,’ Cheryl added.
She continues by mentioning that she has hiked to The Copper Canyon in Mexico to see the Tarahumara indigenous,
a society of people who live in natural shelters like caves or rock overhangs, and that she has also traveled to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the Barnes Ice Cap, which is melting.
When Tiegs listed her 4,770 square foot, Balinese-style Bel-Air property for $12 million in 2013,
she garnered media attention. The house sold in 2020 for $14,075,000, significantly more than the asking price.
She made a comment in 2016 implying that Sports Illustrated was promoting an unhealthy lifestyle by featuring plus-sized model Ashley Graham on its cover.
‘Your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches], so I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women because it’s glamorizing them.’
Tiegs stated on E! News, ‘That’s what Dr. Oz said, and I’m sticking to it. ‘I don’t believe it’s healthy, no. Her face is lovely. Beautiful. However, I do not believe it to be long-term healthy.
When defending herself the following year, Tiegs claimed that the media had sensationalized her remarks,
‘because really all I was doing was trying to look out for the health of someone who’s too thin or going on the other side of the scale,’ Tiegs stated in 2017.
It just comes down to choosing your own healthy course. Just that. I don’t know her and am unsure of her health. That is up to her.
As for Tiegs, she maintains a healthy lifestyle that includes yoga and a nutritious diet to be gloriously fit and effortlessly gorgeous.
‘You actually have to put in the effort; you can’t just hope that it happens. Eating the appropriate foods and exercise are daily efforts.
As you become older, you could cut back on your workout routine or stop attending the enjoyable Zumba classes you used to attend.
But make sure to include exercise in your daily routine. She goes on, ‘Spend time doing something you enjoy. I used to read a lot but stopped for a while.
I’m back to that now. Make friends who are funny. Right now, all I want in a buddy is someone who will be a beneficial impact on my life. It’s a lovely, healthy, and joyful condition.