NEW YORK (AP) — Valentina Sampaio has become the first openly transgender model hired by Victoria’s
Secret nearly a year after a top company official was pressured to apologize for implying trans women
are off brand.
Sampaio, a Brazilian, has been posting from behind the scenes of a VS Pink campaign to the delight of
celebrities who include Laverne Cox.
Cox who is also transgender, posted on one of Sampaio’s photos: "Wow finally!"
Last November, marketing officer Ed Razek of parent L Brands Inc., said in a Vogue interview that the
annual Victoria’s Secret angels TV special would never include "transsexuals" because
"the show is a fantasy." He apologized after outrage ensued.
Sampaio was not hired for the show, and the company is rethinking having one at all after ratings sagged
last time around.