Damaris Lewis Gets Daring in These 8 SI Swim Photos in California

The model, actress and dancer posed for the magazine three years in a row.

Cara O’Bleness | Oct 7, 2023

Damaris Lewis was photographed by Walter Chin in Palm Springs, Calif.

Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated

New York native Damaris Lewis posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue three years in a row, starting with her 2009 feature in Cappadocia, Turkey, which was captured by photographer Yu Tsai. The following year, Lewis traveled to Palm Springs, Calif., while her most recent SI Swimsuit feature took place in Sentosa Island, Singapore in 2011.

In addition to her modeling career, Lewis has made a name for herself as a dancer and an actress. She portrayed Blackfire on the Max superhero television series, Titans, and also worked closely with Prince.

“I did Sports Illustrated three years in a row and, after that, I started working as a correspondent for the NBA Style team,” Lewis told Into the Gloss in 2014. “I also dance for Prince—one day, he saw me somewhere and I just got a phone call and then we became great friends. Then, he asked me if I wanted to come to Australia. I thought he was joking so I said, ‘Yeah, sure, yeah, right.’ And then three months later he said, ‘So, are you coming to Australia?’ He was totally not joking and so I got into rehearsal and I’ve been dancing with him ever since.”

Five years after Prince’s passing, Urban Decay created a limited-edition makeup capsule collection dedicated to the “Purple Rain” singer, and Lewis, who was known as the artist’s muse, became the face of the collection.

“I think the most valuable lesson that I learned from Prince about beauty was that it’s something that you feel,” Lewis shared with Essence. “... Even on dark days, I can find something beautiful because instead of looking for something enjoyable to make me feel like beauty exists, I can look for something that makes me feel good.”

Below are a few of our favorite photos of the model, dancer, actress and muse in Palm Springs, Calif.

Damaris Lewis — Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated

Now through Nov. 1, 100% of SI Swimsuit’s portion of proceeds from cover prints purchased here will be donated to the Maui Strong Fund, which is helping to support the people and places of Maui affected by the recent wildfires.

Shop Now and Make a Difference

Published Oct 7, 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.