Supermodel Linda Evangelista Has Been “Brutally Disfigured“ by Procedure Done 5 Years Ago | PEOPLE

Linda Evangelista is speaking candidly about why she has stepped away from the public eye in recent years. On Wednesday, the 56-year-old supermodel shared in a post on Instagram that she underwent a CoolSculpting fat-reduction procedure five years ago that she says left her “permanently deformed.“ She has now filed a lawsuit against Zeltiq Aesthetics — the parent company of CoolSculpting. Representatives for Zeltiq and Evangelista did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.