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By Stephanie Kaloi/April 14, 2021 11:33 am EST
Fans of America’s Next Top Model likely remember Cycle 13. The season debuted in 2009 and featured women who are shorter than the average height for a model. The season’s winner, Nicole Fox, was only 18 years old and 5'7" when she won the entire competition.
In the years that followed her win, Nicole continued to model. Entertainment Weekly reported that she shot advertising campaigns for Forever 21 and Steve Madden and she was represented by powerhouse Paragon Model Management for a time. She even snagged a role as a model on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2011! However, Nicole didn’t always love everything that came with being crowned winner of the show. She explained to Denver publication Westword that being followed by cameras was especially difficult for her. “In the beginning, when I disclosed my discomfort to some of the producers, they assured me that if I made it to the end, that in the end of those two months, I’d forget that they were even there,” she said. “But boy, was that false advertising.” She noted that she remained “extremely self-conscious” and believed she was “the only girl who really struggled with it.”
In the years that followed her win, Nicole continued to model. Entertainment Weekly reported that she shot advertising campaigns for Forever 21 and Steve Madden and she was represented by powerhouse Paragon Model Management for a time. She even snagged a role as a model on The Bold and the Beautiful in 2011!
However, Nicole didn’t always love everything that came with being crowned winner of the show. She explained to Denver publication Westword that being followed by cameras was especially difficult for her. “In the beginning, when I disclosed my discomfort to some of the producers, they assured me that if I made it to the end, that in the end of those two months, I’d forget that they were even there,” she said. “But boy, was that false advertising.” She noted that she remained “extremely self-conscious” and believed she was “the only girl who really struggled with it.”
With experiences like that, it’s not a surprise that Nicole ended up walking away from fame and modeling. These days, she goes by the name Nicole Abuhamada, and she is also a mom. She’s the author of the book Lipton Loves, which follows the adventures of a tabby cat as he moves throughout his day, and she regularly creates art, which she shares on her Instagram page. Nicole has also continued working as an actress, appearing in projects like Tag and Circus Kane.
