Model Romee Strijd has been reduced to tears after learning she won't be walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, despite months of training. The 31-year-old shared the reality of the industry in a social media post, highlighting the darker side of modelling that often goes unseen.
Romee previously walked in the brand's annual show between 2014 and 2018, but was told she was "not a good fit" for this year's catwalk. She attended a casting in New York in September but was left waiting weeks to find out whether she had made the cut for Sunday's show in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, Candice Swanepoel and Ashley Graham have all been confirmed to walk in the event.
Mentally a roller coaster
In an emotional video shared on social media, Romee explained how she had been left in limbo while waiting to hear whether she would be taking part. She said: "I went to New York to do the casting because there's a whole new team. I knew the casting director already. I knew a couple of people already from the shoot that I did with them, but, I don't know, I still had to come in..."
"I thought I was gonna know soon after if I was gonna do the show or not, but I didn't hear anything for weeks. And I think I was on some sort of maybe list. It's Monday now, the show is on Sunday, and I still haven't heard anything. So, I kept asking my agency for updates, but apparently I'm still on that maybe list. It's already five weeks after the casting. So it's been a little bit of a roller coaster mentally for me since I have to continue training but I'm not sure if I'm gonna do it."
Romee, who has two daughters with her husband Laurens van Leeuwen, said she had put extra effort into preparing for the show this summer. She added: "I trained for it this summer because I had to put a bit more energy in it since I've got two kids and you know how it goes - your body needs a little bit more working out than before. I felt like I wanted to do the show again even after kids because it felt like the right timing."
Rejection is part of modelling
With the show fast approaching, Romee admitted she suspected she would not be selected but was reluctant to stop preparing in case she received a last-minute call. She said: "The show is on Sunday and they haven't cancelled, they haven't confirmed and I think it's gonna be a no. But I also keep training and continue training cause you never know, like in fashion and in modelling, it's all very last minute. I would love to, I've done everything I could. I went to the casting, I trained, and now it's out of my hands."
However, in a second video shared just hours later, Romee confirmed she had finally received an answer. "It's a no, which is fine, because rejection is part of modelling, and that's totally fine," she said. Reenacting her conversation with her agent, the model said she had been told: "You were great, but they thought you wouldn't fit in the show this year."
Kept in the dark
Although Romee accepted that rejection was part of the modelling industry, she was upset by the way she had been kept waiting for a decision. She said: "If it's a closed chapter, I just would love to know. And now they kept me in the dark, like, not knowing for so long that I got a lot of mental stress from it."
Despite her disappointment, Romee said she believed the show would be a success but was unsure whether she would audition for Victoria's Secret again. She said: "Either way, it's a closed chapter and it's probably gonna be a good show. I don't think I'm gonna cast anymore in the future because I don't like the way it went. I don't like how the whole process went. I don't like the way I was treated, and I would love to keep the positive memories, obviously."
