Former Miss Universe Contestant Says She Got a Boob Job at 18 to Win Pageant: ‘Wish I Hadn’t’

Former Miss Universe Australia winner Jesinta Franklin is opening up about the heartbreaking pressure she felt to change her body at just 18 years old.

During the Wednesday, May 26, episode of the podcast Vain-ish, the now-34-year-old model and TV personality revealed that she underwent breast augmentation surgery after being told it would improve her chances of winning pageants.

During the “final rounds” of the state-level pageant, she recalled being “pulled aside and they were like, ‘Look, you have the ability to go the whole way. You are our number one pick. We think you could go great overseas, but you have no boobs.’ And I was 18 at the time. And that was quite a confronting conversation to have because it was something that I hadn’t ever really thought about.”

After discussing it with her parents, she decided to move forward with the surgery.

The decision appeared to pay off professionally: Franklin went on to win Miss Universe Australia 2010.

Still, the mom of three admitted she now has mixed emotions about the experience.

“It’s hard to say I regret it, but it’s something I wish I hadn’t done, if that makes sense,” she said.

“I can’t regret it because obviously I won the competition,” she shared. “I’ve had an amazing career for it.”

But, she admitted, she misses her body before the surgery. “I just think now all I want is just my small, little, a perky boobs that I had,” she said. “Because once you do it, you can’t [undo it].”

Eventually, she said, she did get the implants removed before becoming pregnant, she added. “I regret it, and I don’t regret it, if that makes sense.”