Who Is Lauren Chan? First Openly Lesbian Model On Sports Illustrated Cover

Lauren Chan, a model and entrepreneur, recently became the first 'out lesbian' and first Chinese-origin woman to appear solo on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine. The magazine hit the stands on May 13, featuring the 34-year-old Canadian model in a gold bikini against the pristine blue waters of Bermuda. “I’m the first out lesbian on the cover — with her own cover — and how much that means to me makes that surprise feel so overwhelming. That’s where I feel like the tears of joy and celebration and relief and community come from," she told People.

Surprise feature on Sports Illustrated cover

According to Chan, they shot for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in March. However, she was not aware that the shoot was for her feature on the cover of the magazine. The editors surprised her by making her one of four models, along with actor Salma Hayek Pinault, former NCAA gymnast Olivia Dunne, and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, to have her own cover for the 2025 issue, according to the magazine's profile of Chan.

Sports Illustrated wrote that Chan was making history with the feature. “Lauren Chan is rewriting fashion’s narrative," MJ Day, the editor in chief of SI Swimsuit, wrote in a post on social media. "As a model, activist and entrepreneur, her why is about making people think of beauty in a way that’s inclusive, genuine and empowering. As a writer, she challenges the industry’s narrow standards, offering a new vision where all bodies and stories are celebrated."

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Opening up about sexuality

Interestingly, Chan first came out as a lesbian in a Sports Illustrated column she wrote in 2023. She wrote about accepting her sexuality in her 30s and her recent divorce from her husband. “So, why did I decide to come out with SI Swimsuit? I spent my career representing women who look like me—and I’m ready for a chapter in which I get to celebrate us for who we are on the inside, too,” Chan wrote at the time. She announced her engagement to writer-director Hayley Kosan earlier in 2025.

Who is Lauren Chan?

Lauren Chan is an Armenian-Chinese-heritage model living in Ontario. She dreamed of becoming a basketball player but had to step back from the court due to an injury during her college days. That's when she took an interest in fashion and moved to New York City, USA, to become a model. Chan also briefly worked as a fashion editor for Glamour magazine, by Condé Nast. In 2018, she founded a size-inclusive clothing brand, Henning.

Chan has won many awards for her work in modelling and fashion editorial. She has also been an advocate for eating disorder support, becoming an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association in 2019. In 2024, Chan was also honoured by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Assembly member Grace Lee for her leadership in New York City's Chinese-American community and work on size-inclusion in the fashion industry.