ABC Special Investigates The ‘Dark Side’ Of Modeling

by Julia Rubin | 3:06 pm, September 15th, 2011

We’ve spent a good part of the last week watching impossibly beautiful models saunter down the runway. These girls (many of whom are teenagers) embody the glamour of the fashion industry, but as we’ve heard time and again, the model world isn’t as pretty as it looks.

Last night ABC aired a Nightline special about the “dark side” of the modeling industry called “A Model Life”. In it we meet Mary and Jeff Clarke of Mother Models Agency, who discovered Ashton Kutcher and Karlie Kloss. The models the Clarkes recruit have to pay the pair 10% of their earnings throughout their career, and undergo a model bootcamp of sorts. This involves eating nothing but lettuce, carrots, and egg whites (“Feed me. I want some bread,” says one of the models in the clip) and exercising several hours a day.

The special also investigates the financial woes of struggling young models, as well as the role sleazy party promoters play in the industry. You can watch the whole thing here, but first check out the GMA promo segment below: