Swimsuit

Hunter McGrady’s Advice for a Healthy Relationship Is So Simple—and So Essential

The 2024 cover model is approaching six years of marriage with her husband, Brian Keys.

Bailey Colon

Brian Keys and Hunter McGrady at Hard Rock Hotel New York.
Brian Keys and Hunter McGrady at Hard Rock Hotel New York. / Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

In less than one month, SI Swimsuit Legend Hunter McGrady will be celebrating her six-year anniversary with her husband, Brian Keys. Ahead of the milestone, the 2024 cover girl gave us a glimpse into the mindset that fosters their long-lasting relationship.

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“Respect. I think that's number one, right? Respect,” McGrady declared while attending SI Swimsuit’s Social Club pop-up earlier this month. “Respect boundaries, respect each other’s wants, respect each other’s time.”

The couple shares two children together: 3-year-old Hudson and 2-year-old Ava. McGrady is also a stepmother to Key’s daughter from a previous marriage.

“That’s one thing we both really agree on, and we’ve never wavered in that,” McGrady continued. “And I think that’s just the most important thing in a relationship—is respect.”

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We’re taking notes on McGrady’s advice, especially given her wonderful love story that seems to be plucked right out of a romance novel.

“The moment I walked in Bobo in the West Village [on our first date] and saw [Keys] sitting in the corner of the bar in his white button down, I knew he was ‘the one,'” McGrady recalled to People in 2018.

In the same city—in Central Park, specifically—Keys got down on one knee to ask McGrady if she would marry him. With absolute certainty, the model said yes, and the two tied the knot in June of 2019.

And yet, as the couple built a family of their own, their relationship shifted as the two became parents. McGrady previously disclosed that when stepping into their roles as “mom and dad,” the duo gave themselves grace as they learned and grew with each other.

“Having a little one, it’s a constant balancing act of giving baby everything he needs while still giving eachother what we need. It’s hard, some days it feels impossible, but we make it work,” McGrady wrote on Instagram in 2021. “We give eachother the patience we need. We both put in work, and Check in with one another to see how we are feeling.”

Hunter McGrady
Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Andie. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Six months after giving birth to her firstborn, McGrady joined SI Swimsuit in Belize for her fifth feature with the brand.

“If anyone had asked me while I was pregnant if I would be modeling within the first six months postpartum, I would have laughed,” McGrady disclosed in a 2022 essay with Business Insider.

“As I was on location in Belize, I knew that I was making a statement. I thought about all the moms who become bystanders in life because they’re insecure about the way they look,” McGrady continued. “In my SI [Swimsuit] photos, I’m my authentic self, scars and all.”

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Bailey Colon
BAILEY COLON

Bailey Colón is a writer on the Breaking and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit, Colón worked at the National Basketball Association where she served as a founding member of the ‘Starting 5’ newsletter and led editorial operations for the NBA App and dotcom. Colón is particularly passionate about the impact of athletics on popular culture, fashion and media. The New England native has a bachelor’s degree from Marist College in journalism and political science.

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