Former Top Model Has Face-Altering Meth Addiction

Do you remember Jael from America’s Next Top Model Cycle 8? For lack of a better description, she was very, uh, Burning Man-ly. You know the type: free spirit, kind of flighty, very laid back, slurred her words a bit, wore a lot of wool hats and scarves in southern California, irritated the hell out of 50 Cent, etc. There just was something a little bit druggie about her, which was seemingly verified when, by the third episode, she received a call from back home that one of her friends had died from a drug overdose. And despite her inability to really connect with the camera, she had remarkably gorgeous bone structure and facial symmetry.

Which is why it was crazy to see her on a preview for Thursday’s episode of Dr. Phil. Apparently, Jael has been addicted to meth for the past six years—interesting, considering her cycle of ANTM aired only five years ago—and she’s unrecognizable. Amazingly, the drugs have not only changed her skin quality, but also the size of her nose. It’s really her though, and Phil and her parents are teaming up to conduct an intervention, which looks like a total shit show, since she ends up fleeing the studio and running through the Paramount parking lot.

Out of the 252 girls that have competed in the 19 cycles of the show’s 9-year history, this is the first time that one of them has had such a severe downward spiral into drug addiction (publicly, at least). Whether it’s a testament to good casting or simply the magic of Tyra Banks’ influence, the biggest stumble we’ve seen from Top Model alums thus far was maybe Joanie’s wig ad.