The Truth About Victoria Fuller's Controversial Modeling Job

Victoria Fuller caused a bit of a scandal on The Bachelor after the digital cover she shot for Cosmopolitan was pulled due to a controversial modeling job she took before appearing on the show. What exactly went down?

In an open letter in February, Jessica Pels, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, explained that they hadn't had the opportunity to research Victoria before flying to Costa Rica for a fashion shoot challenge for the Bachelor contestants. "We didn't even meet them until we were all on camera on-set, ready to start our shoot," she wrote. "So when it came time for me to choose the winner of the challenge — whose prize was a digital cover of Cosmo — all I knew about the contestants were their first names and the energy they conveyed through the camera lens."

Victoria ended up winning the challenge, but Cosmopolitan decided not to publish the cover after finding out that Victoria had once modeled for a campaign that used the slogan "white lives matter."

While the campaign was for a marlin conservation program (per USA Today), Cosmopolitan wanted to distance themselves from Victoria as "white lives matter" is also, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, "a racist response to the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter" as well as "a neo-Nazi group that is growing into a movement as more and more white supremacist groups take up its slogans and tactics."

"Unequivocally, the White Lives Matter movement does not reflect the values of the Cosmo brand," wrote Pels. "We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and any cause that fights to end injustices for people of color."

Victoria later apologized for taking part in the modeling campaign. "I would like to sincerely apologize for my involvement with We Love Marlins," she wrote on her Instagram story (via TMZ) after the news about her cover being pulled broke. "My intention was only to support an endangered species."

She went on to condemn racism. "I want to say that I unequivocally reject the beliefs of the white lives matter movement or any propaganda that supports racism of any kind," she wrote. "I would like to specifically apologize to people of color that are affected by racism daily."

Victoria concluded her apology by saying that she had learned from the experience. "It was never my intention to add fuel to the racial fire in this country," said the model. "This has truly been an educational moment for me and I hope to be a voice against racism moving forward. I hope I can be shown grace as I navigate through this process."