Model Romee Strijd confirmed she won’t be walking the 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show due to not making the cut—despite being a former Angel who walked the show from 2014 to 2018.
Romee chronicled her experience in two back-to-back TikToks—and the first one was filmed shortly before she’d found out she hadn’t been cast.
“I wanted to do the show again even after kids, it felt like the right timing,” she said. “I went to New York to do the casting because there’s a whole new team. I knew the casting director already. I knew a couple of people already from the shoot that I did with them, but, I don’t know, I still had to come in. So I went. I thought I was gonna know soon after if I was gonna do the show or not, but I didn’t hear anything for weeks. And I think I was on some sort of ‘maybe’ list. It’s Monday now, the show is on Sunday, and I still haven’t heard anything. So, I kept asking my agency for updates, but apparently I’m still on that ‘maybe’ list. It’s already five weeks after the casting. So it’s been a little bit of a roller coaster mentally for me since I have to continue training but I’m not sure if I’m gonna do it. With kids around and my life now, it’s a bit harder to find the time. I’ve put a lot of time and energy towards it.”
Romee added, “The show is on Sunday and they haven’t cancelled, they haven’t confirmed, and I think it’s gonna be a no. But I also keep training and continue training cause you never know, like in fashion and in modeling, it’s all very last minute.”
Romee then spoke to her agent and posted a follow-up, saying, “It’s a no, which is fine, because rejection is part of modeling, and that’s totally fine.” Apparently, she was told “they thought you wouldn’t fit in the show this year,” and there was some confusion about when, exactly, they’d made the decision.
“The whole story doesn’t sum up, which makes me feel even horrible than not getting the show,” Romee explained. “I don’t feel supported by my agency. I don’t feel like I have the straight story. Just be honest, just tell me, and I can go on with my life and let it go, because it’s fine. If it’s a closed chapter, I just would love to know. And now they kept me in the dark, like, not knowing for so long that I got a lot of mental stress from it.”
As for next year, she said, “I don’t think I’m gonna cast anymore in the future ‘cause I don’t like the way it went. I don’t like how the whole process went. I don’t like the way I was treated, and I would love to keep the positive memories, obviously.”
Meanwhile, Romee isn’t the only former Victoria’s Secret model who didn’t get selected. Frida Aasen hopped into the comments of her post, writing, “I’m so sad you didn’t get it! I also went to the casting and it was a no ♥️ it sucks but sending you lots of love ♥️”