Beverly Johnson
Supermodel Beverly Johnson Reveals She Was On A Weekly Cocaine, Brown Rice, & Two Egg Diet To Maintain Stick-Thin Figure: ‘I Saw My Bones Looking Back At Me’
Beverly Johnson is opening up about the unhealthy things she did to maintain her modeling figure in the 70s.
For those who may be unaware, after kickstarting her modeling career in 1971, Beverly Johnson became the first African-American to grace the cover of American Vogue in 1974. Her appearance on the magazine cover forever changed the fashion world as it reportedly prompted major American fashion designers to frequently use Black models to showcase their work.
During a recent interview with Page Six, the history maker opened up about the dangerous side of modeling and the measures she took to meet the fashion industry’s unacceptable standards.
While speaking about her cocaine use, Beverly Johnson shared,
“We were led to believe that cocaine was not addictive. We didn’t know cocaine was addictive. Everyone used drugs back in the day, but that particular drug for models was used because we did not eat. I remember eating two eggs and a bowl of brown rice a week. I would be shaking in a cab and say pull over because I have to get a bag of M&Ms.”
She continued,
“I would just stop and get the shakes. We did not eat, and every time you came to work, they would say, ‘Yes! Chisel to the bone girl. Yes,’ like congratulating you. Nobody really told you the truth.”
Johnson, who has now been sober for 50 years, recalled being forced by her mother to look at her nude body in a three-way mirror as the wake-up call she needed to get her life back on track, stating,
“It was the first time I saw my bones looking back at me. It was a major wake-up call for me.”
Johnson is now celebrating the 50th anniversary of her groundbreaking Vogue accomplishment by telling the tale in a one-woman play entitled Beverly Johnson: In Vogue. She reportedly discusses her modeling and acting careers, family, lovers, and what it was like growing up in Buffalo, New York. During the play, she also pays homage to the legendary women who came before and after her, according to reports.
Beverly Johnson: In Vogue is playing at the 59E59 Theatre in New York until Feb. 4.
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