Adriana Lima Defends Kendall Jenner Against Haters Who Say She Isn’t A Real Model

Adriana Lima is proving to be a true friend to Kendall Jenner, as the young model comes under harsh industry scrutiny. Since another model penned an open letter to Jenner in 2014, her credentials have continued to come under attack.

To sum up the letter, the writer claimed Jenner did not have to work hard to secure her position in the fashion industry and credits her career to being a “Kardashian.” More recently, stylist and fashion commentator Robert Verdi was quoted as saying Kendall and her pal Gigi Hadid would not have been considered “real models” years ago, reports Vanity Fair.

“In another day, these girls are not real models. Yes, they are photographed and airbrushed and they look O.K. in some of the shoots. But these are not Linda Evangelistas; these are not Naomi Campbells. These girls are not magic.”

However, Adriana has got Kendall’s back when it comes to her being a “real” model. In an interview with E! News on Tuesday, Lima gave her account of what it’s really like working with Kendall.

“Kendall is very sweet and very nice, and it’s always pleasant to work with someone like that.”

Most fans will readily agree that Kenny seems like a sweet and honest girl, but Adriana didn’t stop there. She went on to discuss Jenner’s work ethic and how she’s a great fit for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which airs December 5.

“You know, she works as hard as we do, so I give her credit for all the effort. And I think she is going to do great because Victoria’s Secret is all about personality, and she has her own personality.”

Cosmopolitan said modeling pro Adriana must know what she’s talking about, as 2016 marked her 16th time walking in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, while it was only Jenner’s second time. As a newer model who got her break after her family rose to fame, it’s not hard to see how some people may attribute Kendall’s career to being a Kardashian.

However, Jenner has been very public with her desire to not let her family’s fame impact her modeling. In fact, she specifically asked her crew to not attend her first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last year. Kendall was filmed during a Keeping Up with the Kardashians episode reacting to news of Caitlyn Jenner’s plan to attend the show and venting about her fear of creating a scene with her famous family in the crowd

“You’re going to take the biggest night of my life and take it away from me?! Thank you.”

Before Adriana Lima made her remarks in defense of Kendall, the 21-year-old has been working hard to prove her worth to her fans and the modeling industry as she distances herself from her family’s fame, Nylon reported last year. The article said Kendall wanted to achieve success on her own, but it seems people are still crediting her success to her family.

Jenner, along with Lima, walked in the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Paris earlier this week. Both models posed for photos together following their runway appearances.

While Jenner made headlines last year as one of the more popular faces at the show, this year the attention is on newcomer Bella Hadid. It was the 20-year-old’s first time walking in the VS Fashion Show, which also featured her older sister, Gigi.

Kendall posted a light-hearted photo to Instagram featuring Bella and two other models before flying to Europe for the show. It seems Jenner isn’t letting any haters get in her way of enjoying her career.

[Featured Image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]