Lately, everyone is talking about Cara Delevingne because the model has been the topic of many headlines. She has been behaving erratically, and many of her friends have expressed concern. The model was recognized for her striking beauty, but now everyone is wondering what has happened to her.
Cara went from being a top model to looking completely disheveled in her latest photos. She comes from a privileged family, but there is a history of partying and drug addiction. Let’s take a look at how Cara went from the glossy pages of fashion magazines to walking shoeless outside an airport.
A Privileged Childhood
Born in London in 1992, Cara Delevingne came from an aristocratic family. Her father, Charles Delevingne, was a wealthy property developer, while her mother, Pandora, was an ‘80s “It girl.” Cara’s family had connections to Princess Margaret and descended from baronets. Her relatives were regarded highly in society for their wealth and status.
Cara was the youngest of three children, and her siblings paved the way for her to join the socialite crew in London. She grew up mixing with people of all ages, making her unfazed by social situations. It caused Cara to act mature from a young age.
A Unique Child
According to her mother, Cara was always a unique character. She wouldn’t leave the house if she couldn’t wear her blue Chelsea football shirt or her camouflage outfit. Cara was stubborn, and her parents didn’t try to argue with her because they knew she was set in her ways regarding how she dressed.
Pandora shared that Cara always brought “all shapes, sizes, and colors” into their home. Her parents never questioned her because they knew Cara was different and wouldn’t change for anyone. But even though she had a lot of freedom, Cara’s upbringing wasn’t always easy because of her mother’s issues.
Abandonment Issues
Some of Cara’s current struggles could be due to her sometimes unstable childhood. Her mother struggled with addiction and battled bipolar disorder. When Cara and her sisters were young, their mother disappeared to go to treatment. She was too ill to be a good parent for them.
Pandora believes her children dealt with abandonment issues because she wasn’t consistent in their lives. She was under the influence, and it affected Cara and her sisters. Cara’s mother had manic episodes, which was a lot to deal with as a child. But they have tried to mend their relationship.
Battling Depression
When Cara was a teenager, she transferred schools because she struggled. She was diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder, which made her teenage years even more challenging. Cara revealed that she started dealing with depression around the age of 15. She said she was hit with a wave of depression, anxiety, and self-hatred.
Cara told Vogue, “The feelings were so painful that I would slam my head against a tree to try to knock myself out.” When she transferred schools, Cara got to focus more on drama and music but dropped out before finishing high school to follow in her sister’s footsteps and start modeling.
She Had Too Much Energy
Cara’s family first noticed her mental health issues when she was eight. She stopped eating in response to her confusion at her mom’s frequent absences. Cara agreed to start medication and see a therapist and was taken out of school for six months.
Her parents also noticed that Cara had too much energy. She showed a passion for playing drums, so they bought her a set, hoping it would be a means of exhausting her. They encouraged Cara’s talents because they wanted her to be happy.
Not Like the Other Kids
Cara was never like other children. She was always into different things, according to her parents. She had a freaky side from an early age, admitting she was obsessed with blood and death as a child. Cara said, “This sounds really dark, but my earliest memory is cutting myself.”
As dark as that sounds, Cara cut herself accidentally because she was pretending to shave like her dad. However, she cut her finger and enjoyed watching the blood. Even as an adult, Cara has shown that she is not like everyone else.
Bursting Onto the Scene
Initially, Cara started modeling when she was ten when she shot her first editorial campaign for Vogue Italia. However, she didn’t pursue a serious career in the industry until 2009. Cara signed with Storm Management and worked in the industry for a year before she landed her first paying job.
Cara went through two seasons of castings before booking her first runway show. She was scouted by Burberry’s Christopher Baily in 2012 while working in the office of a fashion website. He liked her look and cast her in the spring/summer campaign.
Breaking Into the Modeling World
In 2012, Cara started the season by walking in the Chanel couture spring show. New York Fashion Week was the first of the “big four” fashion weeks that Cara booked. She walked the runways for nine big fashion houses, which was just the beginning.
She made such a strong impression on Chanel’s late creative director Karl Lagerfeld, who told Elle magazine, “Cara is different. She’s full of life, full of pep. I like girls to be wild but at the same time beautifully brought up and very funny.”
A Passion for Acting
Although she became famous as a model, Cara always had a passion for acting. She said, “I act for love. I give it my all. I would probably still do it if I wasn’t paid at all.” She got her start in the acting world in 2012’s Anna Karenina.
Cara said her career in fashion was a stepping stone into acting. She started with small parts but has worked her way up to lead roles in high-profile films like Suicide Squad and Paper Towns. Cara has also appeared in several music videos.
She Confused Her Parents
Early on in her career, Cara revealed that she identified as bisexual. Her parents didn’t understand the concept, especially because her father was a rather conservative man. However, they accepted her regardless of who she wanted to date, even if they didn’t understand it.
Most of Cara’s relationships have been highly publicized. She first dated Jake Bugg in 2013 and then pursued a relationship with Harry Styles the same year. The following year, Cara started dating Michelle Rodriguez. The two broke up after a few months because the relationship was too public.
She Took A Break
Around 2015, Cara started to appear in fewer runway shows. Some people thought she was making time to expand her acting career, but Cara clarified why she decreased her show appearances in a Time essay. She stated it work isn’t everything, and it took her time to realize that.
Cara wrote, “I’ve opened my mind, and now I embrace new things with childlike curiosity. I’m spending more time doing the stuff I love. And I’ve been able to do better work because of it.” She continued to appear in runway shows, but Cara was much more selective.
Never Tried to Hide It
One thing that has made Cara so appealing to people over the years is that she doesn’t sugarcoat her mental health struggles. She has spoken openly about her battle with depression as a teen and how it has affected her life more recently.
On Twitter, Cara wrote, “I suffer from depression and was a model through a particularly rough patch of self-hatred.” In a 2015 Vogue interview, she revealed that she came close to trying to take her life, but acting and music saved her.
Modeling Made Her Feel Bad
When Cara decided to reduce her modeling jobs, she had other reasons besides wanting to act more. She admitted that modeling made her feel “hollow” and “disgusting.” She felt the modeling industry was too fake for her, but the acting allowed her to create a character.
Although modeling opened many doors for Cara, she shared, “It didn’t make me grow as a human. I am a bit of a feminist, and it makes me feel sick. It’s horrible and disgusting. You start when you are really young, and you are subjected to not great stuff.”
She Wrote a Book
Cara has always looked for new ways to express her creativity, and in 2017, she released her first novel. The young adult fiction called Mirror, Mirror was a coming-of-age story with an LGBTQ theme. Cara wanted readers to have a realistic picture of the ups and downs of the teenage years.
She co-wrote the book with British writer Rowan Coleman and took inspiration from her tough time as a teenager. Cara enjoyed expressing herself in a different medium, but it wasn’t as fun as her other ventures, like music.
Working on Music
Cara has loved music since she started playing the drums as a child. In 2011 and 2012, she wrote and recorded two albums. She was subsequently offered a recording deal but turned it down because it would change her career. However, that didn’t stop her from making music.
She teamed up with Pharrell Williams to make the song “CC the World,” which was used for the short Chanel film Reincarnation. While music hasn’t been her main focus, it has given her a creative outlet. Cara’s voice isn’t half bad, but no one knows her for singing.
Strange Behavior
One of Cara’s mantras is “embrace your weirdness.” She hasn’t shied away from showing everyone how weird she can be, but in recent years, her behavior has become more erratic. While preparing for her role in Suicide Squad, she walked naked through the woods, howling like a wolf.
Cara claimed she was communicating with the spirit world. It was pretty strange, but people brushed it off because she was preparing for a role. However, her bizarre antics only became more frequent and caused people to become concerned for her health.
She Was Threatened
Some of Cara’s strange behavior could have been caused by bad experiences she had throughout her career. When she auditioned for the film Tulip Fever, Cara claimed Harvey Weinstein harassed her and propositioned her to come to his hotel room.
She also claimed in 2014, Weinstein told her she would never work as an actress in Hollywood because of her sexuality. Although his actions terrified her, Cara still took the role in the film because she wasn’t getting many acting offers, and her career was declining.
A Stable Relationship
Things in Cara’s life were a bit shaky, but she turned a new corner when she started dating actress Ashley Benson. The two were first photographed in August 2018, and they made their relationship official with a cute Instagram post.
Cara gushed that their relationship made her feel happy and calm. It was probably her longest relationship, but the two broke up in 2020. The pandemic forced Cara to deal with her heartbreak. She said, “It made me deal with it more, which is harder. Everything is magnified in a pandemic.”
Fans Worried About Her
Cara has always been known for her quirkiness, but fans grew concerned in 2022 because something seemed off. She had been open about her history of casual drug use and mental health, but she was not acting like herself. At the 2022 Billboard Awards, she was trending for her weird behavior.
She grabbed Megan the Stallion’s train on the red carpet and got a little too close for comfort when the rapper won her award. However, it wasn’t the first time she had made a bad name for herself. She previously licked Azealia Banks’ leg on stage.
Too Fidgety
A few months later, Cara appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan in July 2022. She looked put together, but people noticed she had many bruises on her legs. Cara also rubbed her hands continuously, clenched her fists, and fidgeted throughout the interview.
Fans took to Twitter to express their concern. Many people commented on the strange things she had been doing over the past few months. Cara shed some light on the situation, saying, “People find me a bit odd, but that’s me. No shame.”
She Seemed Exhausted
Over the summer, Cara attended the Burning Man festival. Pictures of Cara following the festival caused her close friends to grow concerned for her health. She was photographed in her car smoking a pipe, and she looked exhausted after spending days in the desert without showering.
When the pictures came out, Cara’s friends worried about her mental health. A close source said, “Her friends are worried about her generally after some erratic behavior, but she has a good group around her.” But her behavior only became more bizarre.
Shoeless at the Airport
Shortly after the burning man pictures, Cara was seen behaving erratically on her way to the airport. She held her legs out the window of the car as her driver made his way through traffic. She arrived two hours late for her flight on Jay-Z’s private plane.
Cara wasn’t wearing shoes as she made her way to the plane. She stopped to take a smoking break and appeared disheveled. Once Cara finally made it to the plane with her dog, she was jittery and dropped her phone many times while talking to someone.
She Didn’t Get on the Plane
Although Cara eventually boarded the plane, someone from her entourage spoke to the airport staff to have the star’s bags removed from the jet. She was not acting like herself, and the paparazzi photos caused fans to tweet about the incident.
One user wrote, “Will someone please check on Cara Delevingne for the love of god.” People felt she needed a new team of people who could help her. It seemed that no one around her was willing to intervene so the star could get help.
Desperate Friends
Cara’s friends started to worry about the star’s health. They were desperate for her to go to rehab because they feared she was battling her mental health and substance abuse. Her friend, Margot Robbie, visited her and left in tears. Robbie appeared distressed after the visit.
Robbie didn’t comment on why she was so upset, but many speculated that serious issues were going on with Cara. Sources claimed that Robbie was there to talk to Cara about entering a treatment program. There were talks about staging an intervention.
She Missed an Event
Cara’s sister Poppy rushed to be by her side. She flew to LA from London because she was very concerned about her well-being. Cara also missed an event at New York Fashion Week. She was supposed to attend the Puma runway show, but she was a no-show.
Cara also missed the kick-off event for her capsule collection called Cara Loves Karl Capsule Collection. It was an important evening for her, but Cara didn’t show up. However, no one from her camp has made a statement about her mental health and behavior.
Doing Better
After many months of strange behavior, Cara looked fresh-faced at Paris Fashion Week. She was photographed arriving at the event for her Cara Loves Karl collection for Karl Lagerfeld. Although she missed the event in New York, she looked much better in Paris.
She made quite the entrance with a new auburn hairstyle and a stunning belted dress from the collection. Fans were relieved to see that the model had been doing better. She mingled with stars like Lil Nas X and gracefully took selfies with guests.
A New Relationship
Cara’s breakup with Ashley Benson took a toll on her, but she bounced back with a new relationship in 2022. As of June 2022, Cara is rumored to be dating Leah Mason, aka Minke. The two were spotted kissing in Italy. However, neither has confirmed the relationship.
The two are reportedly still dating, but Cara hasn’t been seen with her recently. Cara also revealed that she was pansexual instead of bisexual. Once again, her parents didn’t understand it, but they still accepted her for who she wanted to be.
Skin Issues
The model might be known for her bold eyebrows (which had their own Twitter account), but she had to hide a few things on the runway. Around the time that her career kicked off, Cara developed psoriasis. It was a big problem for her modeling career.
Cara revealed, “Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, and I’m sensitive. Kate Moss saw me before the Louis Vuitton show at 3 AM when I was being painted by people to cover the scabs.” Moss helped Cara find a doctor to help with the condition.
A Fan of Ink
In case you didn’t know, Cara is a big fan of tattoos. She has about 20 tattoos, including a lion on her knuckle, an elephant on her arm, a diamond on her ear, and the word bacon on the bottom of her foot.
The most important one is the elephant because it is in honor of her grandma. Cara also thought about adding another piece of ink to her collection for her 30th birthday. She recently celebrated the big day in August but hasn’t gotten a new tattoo yet.
Finding Balance
One of Cara’s favorite things to do is yoga. She said it helps her battle depression because it allows her to check in with herself and find balance. Cara tries to do yoga every day as it calms her and eases her anxiety.
Cara has also spent a good amount of time working on meditation. She meditates with her guru, Colin Victor Dunsmuir, and has gone on retreats with him. Maybe she needs to go on another yoga retreat to deal with her current issues.
She’s Worth a Lot
As of 2022, Cara is reportedly worth about $50 million. She has done various high-profile modeling campaigns for H&M, Zara, Chanel, and Burberry. She has also been featured in Vogue US and UK. The model turned actress earned a large sum for her movies Paper Towns and Suicide Squad.
Thanks to endorsements from companies like YSL Beauty, Burberry, and Tag Heuer, Cara was one of the highest-paid models in the world. In one year, she raked in about $9 million. She also recently joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building for Season 2.
The Negative Side
While being in the public eye has its perks, there are several negative aspects to people watching your every move. A few of Cara’s relationships have suffered because of her status. Because she is so famous, her relationships are highly publicized, but her partners don’t always like that.
When she dated Michelle Rodriguez, the two had a strong bond, but Rodriguez didn’t like the publicity of their relationship. She wanted to keep their romance private, but they couldn’t go anywhere without the paparazzi following them due to Cara’s popularity.
She Was Bullied
Many people consider Cara to be one of the most beautiful people, but she got picked on for her looks as a child. She revealed that she used to hate her body because a neighborhood boy made fun of her for having a small chest.
Other kids in her neighborhood called her a boy because she didn’t have curves like the other girls. Cara was a late bloomer, and it made her feel embarrassed. Kids labeled her “frigid” and “flat.” The bullying ultimately led to her bout of depression as a teenager.
She Didn’t Understand It
Although Cara is open about her sexuality now, she didn’t always understand why she had certain feelings. She grew up in an environment where sexual orientation wasn’t openly discussed. However, Cara was attracted to women, which she thought was wrong.
For a while, Cara hated herself for having feelings for women. She thought same-sex partnerships were disgusting. But Cara eventually learned more about sexuality and started accepting herself. However, she told People magazine, “There’s still a part of me that says, ‘Oh, I wish I could be heterosexual.’”
A Strange Video
With the rise of NFTs, Cara decided to get in on the trend to sell her own NFT in 2021. She created a video of her private parts and posed nude. The video was in collaboration with artist Chemical X, which was a bit strange. However, many people bought the NFT.
Cara decided to donate the proceeds to The Cara Delevingne Foundation, which focuses on women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. She told the Standard, “It’s mine. It doesn’t belong to anyone else. And I decide what to do with it.”
No Bieber Fever
Cara might be friends with Hailey Bieber, but she is not a fan of her husband. Cara has been quite vocal about her dislike for Justin Bieber. When Justin appeared on James Corden’s show, he asked the singer which of Hailey’s friends he liked the least.
Justin said he didn’t like Cara because he didn’t want to deal with the punishment of eating bull genitalia if he didn’t answer. Cara expressed her dislike for Justin following the incident, saying he blocked her on Instagram. Their conflict stemmed from her loyalty to Taylor Swift against Justin’s manager.
Fired From H&M
In 2013, a photo of Cara dropping a baggie of white powder went viral. She tried to cover it up, but the paparazzi were too quick. The model’s possession of drugs wasn’t confirmed, but H&M didn’t want that association with their brand. The company decided to drop her from their campaigns.
Cara didn’t comment on the incident for two years. But in 2015, she told the New York Times that there was no shortage of drugs in her life. Cara brushed it off, saying, “I was a kid, and I still am in many ways.”
Dragged Into Drama
In recent years, Cara’s name was dragged into the highly publicized court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. While the former spouses were throwing dirt at each other, Depp claimed Heard had a threesome with Elon Musk and Cara in 2016 when the two were still married.
Musk denied the allegations, claiming he and Cara are just friends, but their relationship was never intimate. However, footage was later leaked of Cara kissing Heard. Musk might not have been involved, but something possibly happened between the women.
What’s Next for Cara?
Cara has been in all the headlines lately, but not for the right reasons. We hope she can get the help she needs if it is necessary. She has a history of drug use and mental health struggles, so seeking treatment could be beneficial. However, it was nice to see her doing better in Paris.
She continues to focus on work and hopes to land more acting jobs. It is Cara’s passion, and she wants to keep doing it as long as possible. Although she started as a model, Cara has put modeling on the back burner for now.