Birthday Girl Hannah Berner Brought Fun and Flirty Vibes to Her SI Swimsuit Debut

Today—Wednesday, Aug. 12—marks Hannah Berner’s 35th birthday!

Kicking off her career with a three-season run on Bravo’s Summer House, the comedian has become known in recent years for her laugh-out-loud standup special on Netflix, We Ride At Dawn, and for cohosting two popular podcasts: Giggly Squad with Paige DeSorbo and Berner Phone with Des Bishop. Her latest comedy special, Hannah Berner: None of My Business, also hit Hulu in early June.

Berner also added “SI Swimsuit rookie” to her growing list of accolades this year when she joined the magazine for the first time with an appearance in the annual issue. So, to celebrate Berner’s special day, we’re taking a look back at just a few of the standout snapshots from her first fun and flirty shoot with SI Swimsuit.

Hannah Berner was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Blumarine. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

For her first-ever foray with the magazine, Berner traveled to the shores of Montauk, N.Y., where she was photographed by Ben Watts. In many ways, the shoot embraced the location as its own background character, seeing the models adventure around the city to take in all the sights the fan-favorite vacation destination had to offer, including taking over the beaches, piers and even a local ice cream shop.

Hannah Berner was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. Shirt by Comme Si. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

This effortlessly cool, totally carefree vacation vibe also extended to Berner’s wardrobe, with the SI Swimsuit team noting that “the styling on set in Montauk leaned heavily into early 2000s surf culture, bringing the raw, sexy energy of the 2002 film Blue Crush to life.” This aesthetic was absolutely apparent in the comedian’s shoot, as she modeled colorful two-piece sets from beloved brands like Tropic of C, La Perla and Missoni.

Hannah Berner was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by La Perla. Hat by Brixton. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Of course, the birthday girl was in excellent company on the SI Swimsuit set! As a rookie herself, she was joined in Montauk by fellow first-timers Remi Bader and Erin Marley Klay, as well as 2025 Swim Search open casting call winner Tunde Oyeneyin, SI Swimsuit staples Nina Agdal, Ali Truwit and XANDRA, and 2026 cover model Nicole Williams English.

Hannah Berner was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Missoni. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

And as if her stunning final photo spread wasn’t enough, Berner also shared a look behind the scenes of her shoot with her 2 million followers on Instagram in the lead-up to the annual issue’s launch. In the caption of the sneak peek, she showed off her signature humor, quipping, “You guys know I’m so so so shy so this is hard for me but here is bts of my booty on [SI Swimsuit]!!!”

Hannah Berner was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Lybethras Swimwear. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Please join us in wishing this standout 2026 SI Swimsuit star a very happy birthday, and to see Berner’s full 2026 SI Swimsuit gallery, click here!

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