The cover of the 2015 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has finally been unveiled , and it features none other than the stunning Hannah Davis. The photograph was taken by celebrity photographer Ben Watts (brother of Naomi Watts) at the idyllic Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. The Sports Illustrated cover was revealed Wednesday night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon .
“You know, they always keep the cover of the swimsuit edition a big secret and it’s almost impossible to get an advance copy of the magazine,” Fallon told the crowd. “But this is The Tonight Show . And we’re in Los Angeles. We like to make the impossible possible. Let’s bring it out! Guys, behind this curtain is the official never-before-seen top secret cover of the 2015 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. And tonight, for the first time, we’re going to unveil it.”
After pulling down the curtain and unveiling the cover, Hannah Davis appeared and grabbed announcer Steve Higgins. The two walked off, with Davis joking “Did you want to get out of here?”
This is the third time that Hannah Davis has appeared in an issue of Sports Illustrated . Last year, she appeared in the magazine as the face of the “Jersey Strong” campaign. “I didn’t think it could get better than Hannah’s Jersey Shore shoot last year,” said Sports Illustrated Assistant Managing Editor MJ Day.
“But this year everything clicked. It was perfection.”
Hannah Davis found out about the news on Tuesday during a prank pulled on her by SI Now . “I gave her a hug and the only words she could get out were, ‘Are you sure? Is it definitely printed already?’” Day said.
“I told my mom there was no way I’d get the cover,” Davis said after learning the news.
“I told her ‘They do beaches for covers and I’m on a farm. There’s no way. It’s not possible.’”
Our #WCW is sizzling hot model @hanni_davis , Derek Jeter’s gorgeous girlfriend. http://t.co/Zg99jdfxb0 pic.twitter.com/Zu1HydPU6o
— RantSports (@RantSports) July 16, 2014
Hannah Davis is in good company. Last year’s Sports Illustrated cover girls were Lily Aldridge, Nina Agdal, and Davis’ good friend, Chrissy Teigen. It was the first Sports Illustrated cover to feature three models. Prior to that, Kate Upton appeared on the cover for two straight years.
Five things to know about @SI_Swimsuit cover girl Hannah Davis (she’s dating Derek Jeter!): http://t.co/wJhOa2MUtC pic.twitter.com/xppk1vyuyF
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) February 5, 2015
The 24-year-old Davis was born and raised in Saint Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She has appeared in several high profile campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, and Levi’s, among others. Davis is currently dating baseball star Derek Jeter. The two have been together since 2012, right after Jeter broke up with actress Minka Kelly.
[Image via hanna_davis Instagram]