Swimsuit

Leyna Blooms Explains Why She Moved to Paris

The SI Swimsuit cover star needed a fresh start.

Jordi Lippe-McGraw

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Since Leyna Bloom landed the 2021 SI Swimsuit cover, her life has been a whirlwind. While the model was already in high demand, being the first trans person of color to appear in the issue catapulted her to another stratosphere. “Being part of this historic experience took me to a place of pure happiness,” says Bloom. But while the activist was proud to be part of history, the experience left her needing a change.

“As soon as I arrived at that moment, I was just like, This is much bigger than me,” says Bloom. “That made me excited for the future. But I was just so drained and felt like life was moving so fast.”

The actress decided to pull back a bit and refocus with a move to Paris. “It was time to get off the boat, get on solid ground, and just stay grounded because I didn’t want it to go to my head,” says Bloom. “So I moved to Paris in September, and I’ve been here ever since.”

For Bloom, Paris was a place of solitude and a safe space to find her center again. She lives there with her boyfriend and cat, and the pair are living “a normal life.” Bloom says, “Pop culture and social media are crazy right now. I want to have my moments, but I also want my privacy and want to do my day-to-day things. I just wanted to rest.”

Why Paris? Well, after attending the Cannes Film Festival for the debut of her first film, Port Authority, in 2019, the country of France left its mark on her. “I like this environment,” she says. “I like how chill it is and how it’s like an upgrade of New York City. The architecture is gorgeous, and it’s the City of Love. And right now, I need to love myself.”

She adds, “I love this embodiment of self-love. I was like, Why don’t I go to this city where I can just relax all day and love all myself? So that’s why I chose Paris.”

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Jordi Lippe-McGraw
JORDI LIPPE-MCGRAW

Jordi Lippe-McGraw is a Contributing Editor for SI Swimsuit covering all things lifestyle from travel and beauty to entertainment and wellness. Over her nearly 15-year-long journalism career, her work has appeared in the New York Times, WSJ Magazine, Forbes, and more. Plus, she’s appeared on TV shows such as Wendy Williams, TODAY, E!, and MSNBC for her expertise. Jordi's personal passion for travel has brought her to over 50 countries on all 7 continents, including Antarctica at 5 months pregnant. She's also an avid penguin and truffle lover.

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