The actress and mom-of-three, 36, told the magazine that despite her stunning outward appearance, she’s always been self-conscious about the way she looked—and, more than anything, she wished that more people would “[notice] her aura.”

Megan Calls Swimsuit Shoot “A Lot Of Pressure”

Though Megan has often been highlighted for her looks, including for this famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, she hasn’t always felt comfortable in her own skin—something that many non-celebs can also relate to.

In the accompanying interview for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, Megan confessed that “Shooting Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is definitely a lot of pressure,” adding, “what I most want people to know is that I’m a genuine soul who is hoping to actually belong to something and not always have to live as a misunderstood outcast.”

Accepting herself has not always been easy for Megan: she candidly told the magazine that she has struggled with body dysmorphia ever since she was very young. “There’s never been a point in my life where I loved my body, never ever,” said the Jennifer’s Body star. “When I was little, that was like, an obsession I had, that I should ‘look this way’.”

Fans Comment: ‘So Beautiful’

Megan shared the Swimsuit Edition covers with three other models this year—lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, Grammy Award-winning singer Kim Petras, and previous SI Swimsuit model Brooks Nader all scored their own covers as well. But Megan, says the magazine, is special for how she hopes to be seen by the world. Said editor-in-chief MJ Day in Megan’s article, “[Fox] humbly accepts her stunning beauty while simultaneously seeking to be seen and appreciated as the woman of intellect and internal beauty.”

For her shoot, the Transformers actress was photographed in the Dominican Republic by Greg Swales wearing a slinky beaded bikini made of gold coins, as well as a multicolor two-piece and a pink, red, and blue cut-out one-piece swimsuit. The location—Tropicalia, in the Miches region of the DR—was chosen to underscore what the mag calls Megan’s “childlike joy” and comfort when being in nature.

Fans are loving the shoot, with some on Instagram commenting “Crushing on her since I was 17,” “She is sooo pretty,” and “The world will never be the same after this,” among other raves. But despite the positive reaction, Megan’s focused on her self-esteem above everything else: “The journey of like, loving myself, is going to be never-ending, I think,” she admitted in her magazine interview.

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