While Kate Upton had already been on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue by the time Terry Richardson’s “Cat Daddy” video surfaced on YouTube, it wasn’t until that video went viral that she really became a global celebrity. While she has calmed down a bit in the three years since it was posted, she revealed that she wasn’t initially happy that the video was made public.
In a new Vogue profile, the 22-year-old Florida native revealed that she was first angry with Richardson, telling the infamous photographer that it was a disrespectful move.
“I was like, 'That was disrespectful, you could have told me!’” she recalled.
She told Vogue that, “Now, obviously, it’s fine.”
Richardson also added that he doesn’t think he is responsible for turning her into one of the world’s top models. “Kate was born a star,” he said.
The video was actually taken off YouTube for a brief time. It’s now up to 22 million views and shows Upton dancing in the skimpy red bikini she wore on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
The video really set her on the path to bigger stardom. She’s even appeared in films, including The Other Woman.