Birthday Girl Kate Upton Shines in These 6 SI Swimsuit Photos From Mexico

Happy birthday to SI Swimsuit legend Kate Upton! The model, mom and actress turns 34 today, Wednesday, June 10. Not that we need a reason to celebrate the Michigan native, but in honor of her special day, we’re taking a look back at her incredible journey with the SI Swimsuit Issue.

Upton first joined the family in 2011, when she was photographed by Raphael Mazzucco in the Philippines. She impressed the team so much that she earned the publication’s coveted Rookie of the Year honors. Her second and third years earned her the cover of the magazine two years in a row, after Upton posed for Walter Iooss Jr. in Sydney/Cairns, Australia and Derek Kettela in Antarctica, respectfully.

Throughout her years with the brand, Upton has posed for some major shoots with SI Swimsuit. Her aforementioned cover in Antarctica marked the first-ever fashion shoot on the southernmost continent, while the model’s zero-gravity shoot in Cape Canaveral, Fla., in 2014 was also one for the books.

Upton landed the cover once again after being photographed in Fiji in 2017, posed in Aruba the next year. After some time away from the fold to focus on family life and other career pursuits, Upton made a triumphant return to the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2024 when she landed not one but two covers. She earned a solo feature after being photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico, and also took part in a legends group photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla., that resulted in a triptych of additional covers.

“It feels pretty special being a cover model at 19 for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and then again at 31 especially [because] everyone is like when you start off modeling, your career is over at 23,” Upton stated in 2024. “In my career, what I’m most proud of would be just taking care of myself and taking care of my mental health. It was a lot to take on at a young age. I built such authentic friends and had my family and leaned on them. [I] became ultimately way more comfortable in my skin than I ever [thought I] would be.”

Outside of her work as a model, entrepreneur and actress (Upton has been featured in films like The Other Woman and The Layover), she is married to Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander. The couple, who tied the knot in 2017, share two children: daughter, Genevieve, and a son named Bellamy. In honor of her birthday, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite photos from Upton’s 2024 cover shoot in Mexico below.

Kate Upton is wearing a red one-piece swimsuit in Mexico. — Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Versace. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Normaillot. | Yu Tsai /Sports Illustrated

Kate Upton wears a multicolored bikini in Mexico. — Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Eres. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

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