Linda Evangelista, the renowned former model, has initiated a $50 million lawsuit against Zeltiq Aesthetics, a Californian cosmetic treatment firm.

She alleges that a procedure left her «brutally disfigured.» The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court in New York, accuses Zeltiq Aesthetics of negligence, misleading advertising, loss of income, and emotional distress. Evangelista claims that the company failed to warn customers about potential side effects of their ‘CoolSculpting’ treatment, which is intended to eliminate fat through cryolipolysis, a cell-freezing process. She suffered from a rare side effect called paradoxical adipose hyperplasia (PAH) after the procedure, leading to swelling in the treated areas and causing her to become isolated and depressed. Despite undergoing restorative surgery, her condition did not improve. Zeltiq Aesthetics and its parent company, AbbVie, declined to comment on the matter.