"Chicago P.D.'s Tracy Spiridakos Shares Heartbreaking Body-Shaming Experience at 17"

In a poignant revelation, actress Tracy Spiridakos, best known for her role in Chicago P.D., has opened up about a harrowing encounter she faced at the hands of a modeling agency when she was just seventeen. Speaking on the "I've Never Said This Before" podcast, Spiridakos recalled an unsettling experience that took place after she won a modeling contest. Her brother, who accompanied her to a meeting with a prominent modeling agency, remembered the incident vividly. The agency had asked Spiridakos to don a bikini for a photoshoot, and when she emerged, they critiqued her body, circling areas where she was told to lose weight. "They took Polaroid pictures of me, circled all my 'flaws', and laid them out, saying I had to shed pounds in certain areas if I wanted to succeed in the industry," Spiridakos shared, adding that she felt "deflated" in the moment. Her brother, however, stood up for her, fiercely defending her against the body-shaming comments. The agents, according to Spiridakos, responded by stating, "She's pretty for guy-meets-girl kind of pretty, but if she wants to make it in this industry, she’s got to lose weight." This comment, Spiridakos admitted, felt like a "gut punch". At the time, she was eager and excited about her foray into modeling. While she couldn't remember the name of the agency, Spiridakos revealed that she and her brother left the meeting immediately after it. Her brother consoled her, telling her, "You’re not modeling anymore. I’m telling mom you’re done." The incident left a lasting impact on Spiridakos. "I still see those things in the mirror," she confessed, referring to the body parts that were circled by the agents years ago. "I see those flaws, even though they're not flaws, because you’re at such a young age and so impressionable at 17. And I have to tell myself that that is not real. And to just love yourself and to not care." Spiridakos ended by encouraging others, "Don’t let anyone tell you how to live in your own body." A year or two after the encounter at the modeling agency, Spiridakos landed her first on-screen role in a 2007 episode of Supernatural. Her career took off with her first major role in the 2012 NBC series Revolution, for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award. In 2017, Spiridakos began playing Detective Hailey Upton in Chicago P.D., a role she played until 2024 before returning for a guest appearance earlier this year. Her journey serves as a testament to resilience and the power of self-love.