Sports Illustrated beauty Kate Upton graces the cover of Elle’s September issue where she speaks out on her religion and tells men that she’s “not a toy.”

Upton, 21, explains that during a photo shoot a photographer questioned her why she was wearing a cross necklace, Fox News reports. “Somebody made a joke like, 'Why are you wearing a cross? Like you would be religious.' And then they took [my necklace] away,” Upton explains in the interview. “I was really affected by that. The whole thing made me realize that I do want [a cross] with me, at all times."

Since that moment, Upton opted to get a cross tattooed on her finger so she would always have it with her.
In addition to questioning her religion, Upton explains that after her first ultra-sexy Sports Illustrated cover went public, men began to treat her differently.

"I felt terrible about myself for a solid month. Every single guy I met was either married or about to be married, and I felt like I was their bachelor present or something,” she explains. “I'm not a toy, I'm a human. I'm not here to be used. I am a grown woman, and you need to figure your shit out."

The new issue of Elle hits stands August 20.

Image: Elle