Olivia Culpo celebrated one of the most exciting chapters of her career, posing for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, by reflecting on the events that led up to it. The former Miss Universe and model commemorated her 27th birthday on May 8 by sharing incredible photos from the SI Swim shoot — and getting in a little dig at her ex, too. Olivia’s lengthy caption on the photoset, which includes a pic of her posing topless with a snake, by the way, is clearly about her ex-boyfriend, Danny Amendola, though she never uses his name. She alluded to their October 2018 breakup, which apparently occurred while she was in the middle of shooting her SI Swim pics. Olivia wrote:
“@si_swimsuit .. It’s finally here!!!!!! This was one of my hardest days for personal reasons (as some of you may remember). I landed in Australia to shoot these photos with some info that rocked my world. Looking back at this first picture, I know exactly what was going through my mind at the time. I was so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be doing something I had dreamed of, and wished and hoped for since I was a little girl. And I sit here today feeling SO grateful.
“I feel like I worked really hard, and hope I can use my experience to inspire people to 1. Always follow your dreams 2. Know the power of the law of attraction and manifesting what you want in life 3. Try your hardest to always give thanks, even when it is difficult and you may not understand why certain things happen when they do. Even though I was struggling on this day, I know in this picture I was thanking God for the opportunities life has given me and for making every day a blessing. I love you all and PS thank you for the bday wishes!!!!”
Not so subtle! Olivia and Danny, 33, broke up in the fall after the NFL player was seen canoodling with CBS sports reporter Bianca Peters on the beach in Miami. The former couple continued an on and off relationship of sorts for several months, including celebrating New Year’s Eve together. They officially ended things for good, and it seems like Olivia pulled the plug. In April, the Detroit Lions wide receiver went on an explicit rant on Instagram in a since-deleted post, bashing Olivia for posting on social media, and wanting to “be noticed on the internet and in Hollywood to make money.” Well… yeah, she’s a celebrity. It’s kind of her job!
He said that she believed in a “fishbowl lifestyle,” while he described social media as “fake sh*t.” He acknowledged that he’s an “idiot,” but said that Olivia is “f**ked up, too.” He classily added that their sex life was “f**king crazy, too.” Classy. He even attacked Zedd after the DJ was spotted hanging out with Olivia at Coachella, calling him a “scrony [sic] little f**k.” No wonder Olivia feels better than ever now.