Chanel Iman Posed With a Python While Modeling Bikinis in Zanzibar

The three-time SI Swimsuit model was last featured in the magazine in 2016.

Cara O’Bleness | Jan 4, 2024

Chanel Iman was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Zanzibar.

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Chanel Iman first joined the SI Swimsuit family in 2014, when the Atlanta native traveled to Madagascar with photographer Derek Kettela. She returned to the fold the next two years, and her work took her to Utah with the SI Swimsuit team and visual artist James Macari next. Iman’s most recent brand feature took place in 2016, when she posed for Ruven Afanador in Zanzibar.

While all three of the 33-year-old’s features with SI Swimsuit have been absolutely breathtaking, Iman’s spread in East Africa was by far the most daring. In addition to rocking sheer one-pieces and bold, strappy black bikinis, Iman bravely posed with a python for several snapshots while on location.

“I started off with one python snake and then they brought out the second one,” she told People at the time. “It was really easy because their mouths were taped, but there’s always that fear that the tape might come off and they might just squeeze the crap out of you … especially when they’re around your neck, and they’re on your arms, you don’t know what they’re gonna do, so there’s always a little bit of fear that something could go wrong on the shoot.”

The model’s bravery was well worth it, as the resulting images are absolutely stunning.

Today, Iman is the proud mom of three children. She and her fiancé, Davon Godchaux, got engaged last spring while in Italy. They welcomed a baby girl in September, and Iman shares her two other daughters with her ex-husband, Sterling Shepard.

Below are a few of our favorite pics from her SI Swimsuit feature in Zanzibar.

Chanel Iman — Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!

Published Jan 4, 2024

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.