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Linda Evangelista

Linda Evangelista is suing a medical device company after claiming she has been left "permanently deformed" by one of their cosmetic procedures.

The 56-year-old beauty, who was one of the hottest supermodels in the 1990s, took to her Instagram page to explain to her followers why she's been so absent from the public eye.

"To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers' careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by Zeltiq's CoolSculpting procedure which did the opposite of what it promised," she wrote.

The procedure, called cryolipolysis, is meant to freeze fat cells in targeted parts of the body to remove areas of body fat.

However, Linda continued: "It increased, not decreased, my fat cells and left me permanently deformed even after undergoing two painful, unsuccessful corrective surgeries. I have been left, as the media has described, 'unrecognizable.'"

Since the procedure, Linda has suffered from Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia (PAH), which causes hardened areas of fat to develop. 

"I have developed Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia or PAH, a risk which I was not made aware of before I had the procedures," she continued. "PAH has not only destroyed my livelihood, it has sent me into a cycle of deep depression, profound sadness, and the lowest depths of self-loathing. In the process, I have become a recluse."

Linda has now made the decision to take legal action against the company after suffering in silence, and is hoping to move on with her life.

"Today, I took a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have kept to myself for over five years," she explained. "With this lawsuit, I am moving forward to rid myself of the shame, and going public with my story. I'm so tired of living this way. I would like to walk out my door with my head held high, despite not looking like myself any longer."