Cara Delevingne claims early modelling career had 'no safety' and 'sexual misconduct vibe'

Cara Delevingne has claimed there was "no safety" and a "sexual misconduct vibe" during her modelling days.

The 33-year-old star — who has been sober for four years after battling addiction and mental health issues — relates to people who are critical of celebrities who struggle with life in the spotlight because they have "chosen" their own paths because she felt the same way about her own problems, but she now wishes she had been easier on herself as she began her career at a "rough time" for the industry.

She told the Sunday Times Culture magazine: ""The comment tends to be, 'Get over it, you chose this life.'

"But then I agree with them because I did not sympathise with myself. I felt, 'Oh grow up, get over it. You're so lucky.' I had the same mentality as other people and so I didn't blame them for thinking that.

"I wasn't allowing myself to feel pain, anger or used — because I felt I had put myself there. I chose that life.

"I was modelling at a rough time. There was no safety then, apart from with other girls. It was before MeToo, with this sexual misconduct vibe of straight older photographers, and that is why I am sad, because I still have a chip on my shoulder from all that.

"And so, no — I would not say, 'Advocate for more sympathy for celebrities!' We just need to have sympathy for ourselves and others more in general, because we are brutal about everything."

The Only Murders in the Building star stepped away from the spotlight for a long period of time and admitted she doesn't think she would have been able to "get away" with her wild behaviour on a set in the way male actors can.

Asked why she stopped acting for so long, she said: "My spiral into drugs and alcohol didn't help. Men get away with it but I can't name any women who are crazy actresses, like I was. I would go out with all the stunt guys! It didn't work out well.

"If you don't advocate for yourself, nobody will. And I was a psycho — going, 'I'm fine!' And yes, people should go, 'You OK?' But then they don't want to suggest you cancel work. If they do, someone's not going to get paid. If a lowly agent says you should take the week off, they are going to get fired.

"Now I look back on it and I really appreciate my body — I broke out in red scabs. I was modelling too much, covered in psoriasis, so my body said, 'I'll sort this out.'"

Cara — who credits her partner Minke with helping her get her life back on track — admitted she initially "struggled" with being out of the spotlight but ultimately knows it was the best thing she could have done.

She said: "I struggled in the beginning. If I'm honest, I struggled with the ego, thinking people were going to forget me. But it allowed me to nurture myself, my life, my relationship."

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