Curve Model Faces 'Awkward' Comment About Her Body During Flight. Why She Wasn't 'Shocked' by It (Exclusive)

Yahoo

23-06-2025

Curve model Kate Kope got over 300K views on TikTok for opening up about her encounter with an older woman who commented on her body during their flight
Kope, 27, recalled the woman saying that she was "not that fat" after she found out Kope classified herself as a curve model
Speaking with PEOPLE exclusively, Kope reveals why she "was not shocked" by the woman's unfiltered reaction
"There's nothing quite like getting humbled on your early morning @delta flight," model Kate Kope wrote when she posted a TikTok video about an awkward encounter she had with a seat neighbor on her flight to Los Angeles.
In the clip, which received over 300K views as of writing, Kope — a 27-year-old curve model from Brooklyn, N.Y. — recalled that the woman made a comment on her body after finding out she was a curve model. According to Kope, who is signed on with Jag Models, a photo of her in lingerie prompted the woman to say this next.
"She goes, 'Oh, don't worry, you're not that fat,'" she revealed.
Following the incident, Kope tells PEOPLE she "was not shocked" by the woman's unfiltered response because she actually gets similar reactions pretty often.
"I'm used to people not quite knowing what to say when I tell them I am a curve model," explains Kope, who says she is a "true 10" in size but can fluctuate from 8 to 14 on any given day. She notes that clothing samples for curve models range from a 12 to a 16.
"In person, I am not at all what someone would consider as 'curvy' or 'plus-size,' so an awkward reaction often happens. I think people almost want to comfort me and let me know that I'm not fat, as if I have allowed the fashion industry to convince me otherwise for labeling me as a 'curve' model. So, I don't take their inappropriate reactions to heart."
She adds: "To many people, fat equals bad and skinny equals good, so these interactions just reveal more about how people perceive thinness in society and how they look at women's bodies. Little do they know, I've done the mental work and no longer wish to strive for thinness as my life goal."
Kope doesn't believe that the woman, whom she notes was older, made the comment with "malice or ill intent."
"We actually had an interesting conversation about many things. Maybe I should have judged her more, but I truly let it roll off my back," she says. "I personally get more annoyed by younger people who make these comments because I expect millennials and Gen Z to be more aware."
Kope describes herself as a "confident" woman, though these types of interactions only highlight her struggle to truly identify with her job title.
"I shy away a lot from telling strangers I'm a model. If I just say 'model' without including 'curve' or 'plus,' I can see people immediately stare at my body and question the validity of my answer. But when I do say 'curve or 'plus', they often want to say how ridiculous it is. So, I exist in this middle ground where either answer warrants an often uncomfortable response."
The conversation around plus-size modeling has grown thanks to the rise of models like Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Iskra Lawrence, Lauren Chan, Precious Lee and Hunter McGrady, all of whom have advocated for body diversity industry-wide.
Although Kope, who started her modeling career a decade ago and has since worked for brands including Victoria's Secret, SKIMS, Fenty Beauty and Hollister, tells PEOPLE that she's noticed a "regression" in the number of job openings accessible to models like herself, and she sees it affecting her community.
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"A couple years ago, curve models had more of a presence in the industry. My friends who are size 16+ would shoot campaigns, beauty and editorials. It felt like fashion was starting to explore what a size-inclusive industry could look like. But recently, there has been less and less of that happening. I've noticed brands shooting smaller and smaller curves or the models they're using are just midsize like myself. Many of my friends size 16+ are struggling to find their place in the industry again."
"That is why I want to continue to talk about this on my social media," continues Kope.
"Our perception of thinness cannot be so skewed by the media we are consuming. It's so unhealthy for the younger generation. I should not be the largest size they see in campaigns. I should not be the only depiction of a 'curvy' woman. Nothing has healed my perception and love of my body more than my community of plus-size models. They are confident, fashionable, funny, smart, and just the coolest people I know. If the brands right now won't highlight them, seek them out for yourselves!"
Read the original article on People