Swimsuit

Kate Upton Broke the Internet When She Went ‘Zero Gravity’ for SI Swimsuit

The brand legend and repeat cover girl was photographed by James Macari in Cape Canaveral in 2014.

Ananya Panchal

Kate Upton was photographed by James Macari in Cape Canaveral.
Kate Upton was photographed by James Macari in Cape Canaveral. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Kate Upton’s 2014 SI Swimsuit feature was truly out of this world. And, almost literally, too. The SI Swimsuit legend, who starred on the cover of the 2024 issue and participated in a 60th anniversary group photo shoot this year, was photographed in zero gravity in 2014. The model, who made her debut in 2011 and landed on the cover in ’12, ’13 and ’17, was photographed by James Macari in Cape Canaveral.

“The zero-G experience was really exhilarating for everyone involved,” SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day said. “We have been almost everywhere in the past 50 years with SI Swimsuit, but we have never done anything like this. It was certainly the most out-of-the-box shoot. Once again, Kate surprised us all with how she handled modeling in weightlessness.”

If anyone can still look phenomenal while experiencing weightlessness, it’s the Michigan native and supermodel herself.

“In my experience at Sports Illustrated, it’s about the adventure,” the 32-year-old shared. “It’s so hard to explain how it feels. You’re weightless, you’re floating around, you have no control. But I got the hang of it.”

Upton has traveled to the most exotic locations with the franchise, including the Philippines, Australia, Antarctica, the Bahamas, the Cook Islands and Mexico. Today, Upton is a mom to daughter Genevieve, whom she shares with her husband, MLB player Justin Verlander. She is also the host of Hulu’s reality fashion competition series, Dress My Tour.

Below are five breathtaking, unique and fierce photos from Upton’s 2014 zero gravity photo shoot with James Macari.

Kate Upton
James Macari/Sports Illustrated
Kate Upton
James Macari/Sports Illustrated
Kate Upton
James Macari/Sports Illustrated
Kate Upton
James Macari/Sports Illustrated
Kate Upton
James Macari/Sports Illustrated
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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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