8 Gorgeous Photos of Valentina Sampaio in Florida

The model posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue two years in a row.

Cara O’Bleness | Jan 28, 2023

Valentina Sampaio made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2020 when she posed for photographer Josie Clough in Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands. She returned for the SI Swimsuit issue the following year, when she traveled to Hollywood, Fla., where Ben Watts snapped her photos.

Before she graced the pages of the SI Swimsuit magazine, Sampaio modeled for other well-known brands, such as Victoria’s Secret and L’Oreal Paris. The Brazilian-born model and actress made history in 2019 as Victoria’s Secret’s first openly transgender model. The following year, she became the first openly trans model to be featured in the SI Swimsuit Issue.

“I’m so grateful for my second year shooting for Sports Illustrated, and I know this is a big platform and it’s a place that I can use my voice and my ability to spread a message of love, compassion and unity for all,” Sampaio said of her ‘21 feature.

Sampaio already has kicked 2023 off to an amazingly successful start, as she was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar España’s February issue and stars in Victoria’s Secret’s Valentine’s Day ad campaign alongside models such as Bella Hadid and Taylor Hill.

Below are eight of our favorite photos captured at Sampaio’s ’21 photo shoot with Watts in Florida.

Valentina Sampaio — Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Published Jan 28, 2023

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara O’Bleness is a writer and editor on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Prior to joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, O’Bleness loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism.