Kate Moss Felt “Vulnerable and Scared” on Topless Calvin Klein Shoot with Mark Wahlberg

Kate Moss’s Calvin Klein photo shoot with Mark Wahlberg produced what may now be seen as one of the most iconic ’90s fashion ads, but for the model, it was actually an incredibly uncomfortable experience.

Speaking on last Sunday’s episode of radio show Desert Island Discs, Moss said she has “not very good memories” of doing the shoot with the actor. At the time, in 1992, Moss was 17 while Wahlberg was 21.

“He was very macho, and it was all about him. He had a big entourage. I was just this kind of model,” the supermodel recalled.

More From Harper’s BAZAAR

In the photo that ran as Calvin Klein’s underwear ad, Moss posed topless, wearing white CK panties, and was pressed against Wahlberg, who was shirtless but wore baggy jeans over his briefs.

Barry King

//

Getty Images

“You felt objectified?” show host Lauren Laverne asked Moss during their talk.

“Yeah, completely. And vulnerable and scared,” the model replied. “I think they played on my vulnerability. I was quite young and innocent, so Calvin loved that.”

Moss added that she felt “severe anxiety” before the shoot, and got prescribed Valium. “I really didn’t feel well at all before the shoot. For like, a week or two, I couldn’t get out of bed,” she said.

Moss revealed the same sentiments about “Marky Mark” in a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair, saying, “I had a nervous breakdown when I was 17 or 18, when I had to go and work with Marky Mark and Herb Ritts. It didn’t feel like me at all. I felt really bad about straddling this buff guy. I didn’t like it. I couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks. I thought I was going to die.”

Though the Ted actor stays mostly away from the spotlight these days—unless he’s on the big screen—he did address the Calvin Klein photo shoot controversy while speaking with The Guardian in 2020.

The outlet asked Wahlberg if he ever made up with the model after their shoot, to which Wahlberg replied, “I never really had a problem with Kate, did I?”

He added, “I think I was probably a little rough around the edges. Kind of doing my thing. I wasn’t very … worldly, let’s say that. But I’ve seen her and said hello. I think we saw each other at a concert here and there, we said hi and exchanged pleasantries.”

Harpers bazaarHarpers bazaar Lettermark logo

Rosa Sanchez

Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper’s Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets.