Victoria's Secret Model Vita Sidorkina Says On-Camera 'Sisterhood' Was 'Completely Fake'

Victoria's Secret model Vita Sidorkina said the 'sisterhood' presented during her time with the lingerie brand was 'completely fake', describing newer runway models as 'extremely competitive'. She made the comments during an interview with Tess Shanahan for the Tess Talks podcast, released on 31 August.

Sidorkina was discussing her experience around the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show rather than the company's current culture. While she criticised the friendships presented for cameras, she praised established models including Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge and Candice Swanepoel as welcoming and 'extremely nice'.

Sidorkina Praises Veteran Models

'They were actually, like, the nicest people,' Sidorkina told Shanahan.

She contrasted their behaviour with the atmosphere among newer cast members, whom she characterised as 'extremely competitive'. 'All the sisterhood on camera was completely fake,' Sidorkina said.

The Russian-born model explained that she found it difficult to perform a friendship that did not reflect how she felt away from the cameras. She described resisting the pressure to 'play a role' in the sisterhood promoted around the show.

Sidorkina did not identify any newer models as responsible for the dynamic, nor did she accuse the established women she named of participating in false friendships. Her account distinguished between the welcoming treatment she said she received from veteran models and the competition she experienced among newer cast members.

Rejected From the Runway

Sidorkina's appearance in the 2015 show followed years of catalogue work for Victoria's Secret and an earlier runway rejection. She said she first worked for the company's PINK catalogue for approximately 18 months before spending another year and a half modelling for Victoria's Secret catalogues.

Despite that existing relationship, she was not immediately chosen for the televised runway production. 'I actually went on a casting the year before and they rejected me,' Sidorkina said. 'They rejected me because they said back then that I wasn't in shape enough.'

Sidorkina said she believed her previous work and commitment to the company should have given her an opportunity to attend the main casting, although that did not guarantee selection.

She ultimately secured a place in the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, staged in New York on 10 November. Contemporary photographs confirm she appeared among that year's runway cast.

An 'Unhealthy' Diet

After the earlier rejection, Sidorkina said she spent approximately six months preparing for another attempt. She hired a trainer who had previously worked with models and followed a tightly controlled food programme.

'It was a very unhealthy diet,' she said.

Sidorkina compared the process with the short-term preparation used by bodybuilders. Although she achieved the physical result she wanted for the runway, she said the condition was not sustainable for ordinary life.

The model said she regained weight shortly after the show and felt physically unbalanced. She also warned that such extreme preparation could affect both the body and the mind.

Pressure Versus Choice

Despite criticising the standards surrounding the show, Sidorkina did not say Victoria's Secret ordered her to follow that particular diet or selected her trainer. She said the company wanted models to be thin and expected them to present a particular physique.

According to Sidorkina, individual models used different approaches. Some were naturally thin, some trained intensively and others resorted to unhealthy measures.

She also said the publicly promoted image of 'Angel training' did not necessarily represent the private preparation undertaken by every model. 'It was unhealthy and it was hard, but it was my choice,' Sidorkina said.

Her account distinguishes between the body standard she said was expected in the casting environment and the personal methods models used to meet it. Sidorkina argued that she had willingly pursued the opportunity and could have walked away.

Victoria's Secret Then and Now

Sidorkina also recalled positive interactions with Victoria's Secret's production team and said she was treated professionally. Her criticism centred on the competitive model culture, the thin physique she said was expected for casting and the difference between public camaraderie and private relationships.

Victoria's Secret has since sought to reposition itself around greater representation. Its fashion show returned in 2024 after a six-year absence with a cast spanning a broader range of ages, sizes and racial backgrounds, while the company says it aims to represent and empower all women.

Sidorkina did not claim to describe the company's present workplace. Her recollection instead offers a view of an earlier runway era in which the polished image of sisterhood existed alongside casting pressure, physical sacrifice and competition for a limited place in the show.