Behind the Scenes With Ilona Maher, Bethenny Frankel and More SI Swimsuit Models in Mexico

On Tuesday, March 24, we revealed the nine women who traveled to Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico, for the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue. In addition to seven brand regulars—including Haley Baylee, Lauren Chan, Olivia Dunne, Ilona Maher, Hunter McGrady, Brooks Nader and Molly Sims—two new faces were photographed in Mexico for their rookie features: Jocelyn Corona and Bethenny Frankel.

And in addition to releasing their first official photos from the forthcoming 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue, which hits newsstands in May, we shared some behind-the-scenes content from Mexico on Instagram. Several models also followed suit, offering up sneak peeks into their time on set for this year’s magazine. Take a look at just a few of the highlights below.

Ilona Maher

Maher, who will return to SI Swimsuit for the third year in a row, posted a reel of herself on location starting with a quick snippet of her sprawling out in the sand in an electric blue one-piece. The video then transitioned to Maher kneeling in the sand in black swimwear. Additional glimpses showed the athlete modeling a magenta bikini, a brown two-piece with chainlink silver detail and more.

“YESSS ❤️,” 2016 SI Swimsuit Issue cover model Ashley Graham cheered in the comments.

Bethenny Frankel

Though Frankel participated in SI Swimsuit’s runway show during Swim Week last year, 2026 marks her rookie feature in the magazine. Her behind-the-scenes content on Instagram was dedicated to her loyal fanbase, “Nosy Bs,” and consisted of Polaroids and plenty of action shots.

“IM SO NOSY SO THANK YOU NEED THESE,” brand star Katie Austin cheered in the comments.

Jocelyn Corona

Corona, who is also a rookie in this year’s publication, called the opportunity to pose for the magazine a “DREAM COME TRUE” in her Instagram post on Tuesday. In her reel, she strutted through the sand toward the camera while clad in a black long sleeve Myra Swim one-piece paired with a red belt by Saint Laurent.

“You are so beautiful!” Maher gushed in response.

Haley Baylee

After several years away from the publication (she last posed for the magazine in 2021), Baylee makes her triumphant return in the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue. The model and content creator shared the exciting news with her near 10 million followers on Instagram with a teaser message that read “guess who’s back in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit...” atop her first official image from this year’s shoot.

“I fear you cut us no slack,” 2024 SI Swimsuit Rookie of the Year Jena Sims quipped in response.

Lauren Chan

Chan, who is following up her 2025 SI Swimsuit Issue cover with her latest appearance in the fold, turned the beach into a runway with her BTS content from set. Watch the video here.

SI Swimsuit

Be sure to head to our Instagram feed for a roundup of behind-the-scenes snapshots through the eyes of the SI Swimsuit team, along with insights from brand legends Nader and McGrady.