Americas Next Top Model hit by race claims as James Bond's Stephanie Sigman was bullied by contes
New Bond Girl Stephanie Sigman auditioned to be on America’s Next Top Model, but walked out after bullies targeted her for being half-Mexican, Daily Mail Online can reveal.
The 28-year-old beauty has now been named as the first ever Mexican Bond Girl and will appear as Estrella alongside Daniel Craig in the next 007 adventure ‘Spectre,' due out in November.
And immediately the film's producers were forced to deny they had only cast the relatively unknown actress in exchange for incentives while filming in Mexico City.
But it is unlikely to have fazed Sigman, as today we can reveal her rise to fame, thanks to her ethnicity, has not been easy and almost ended before it even began.
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Femme fatale: Stephanie Sigman, 28, will be the first woman of Mexican descent to be a Bond Girl in new 007 film Spectre with Daniel Craig Her family tell Daily Mail Online how the 5 ft 9 inch beauty was left devastated after cruel jibes caused her walk out on hit fashion show America’s Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks, five years ago.
Sexy: Bond producers of the upcoming Sprectre starring Daniel Craig were forced to deny suggestions that Sigman was cast to get favors while filming in Mexico. Sigman adored working with Craig
Down Mexico way: The actress's aunt Sharon Sigman told Daily Mail Online that Stephanie’s dad Sanford is a scout for the NY Yankees baseball team and fell in love with Stephanie’s mom when he was on a trip to Mexico
Sigman's family tell Daily Mail Online how the 5 ft 9 inch beauty was left devastated after cruel jibes caused her walk out on hit fashion show America’s Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks, five years ago.
It left her determined to have the last laugh at the bullies who doubted she would ever make it in Hollywood.
Cousin Kimberly Sigman, 43, who lives in California said: 'Five years ago Stephanie was trying out to be on America’s Next Top Model, but all of the other contestants were mean to her, saying she should not even be allowed in the competition as she was Mexican.
'But what most people don’t know is that Stephanie is half American as well as her father is from the USA, so she had every right to be there.
'The producers of the show loved her though and thought she could go all the way, so when Stephanie said she was walking away, they begged her to stay.
'But Stephanie is made of tough stuff and determined she would not stay around in that kind of bitchy, cruel environment.
'And she has been having the last laugh ever since. Most girls from that competition go nowhere.
Tough cookie: Her boxing trainer in Los Angeles, Eddie Hernandez, at the City of Angels Boxing Club said: 'It does not surprise me Stephanie has been picked to be a Bond Girl as she is one tough girl. 'She is so hard working and trains for three hours a day, every day, whenever she is in town.
'But Stephanie is the new Bond Girl and is really showing them now just how special she is.
'She is beautiful, a sweet person and really tough. It does not surprise us she has been picked as she is perfect for the part.
'Unlike most Bond girls she has no boobs, but her body is amazing and she looks sexy regardless. We are so excited for her.'
Sigman was devastated after cruel jibes by fellow contestants caused her walk out on hit fashion show America’s Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks
After it was announced that Sigman is one of the three Bond Girls in Spectre, leaked emails suggested Mexico made suggestions on the nationality of an actress and the villain, the villain's intended victim and some film shots producer.
Michael G. Wilson, the Bond producer, denied the script was changed to get incentives while shooting in Mexico.
'There is nothing in the script that we hadn't had before. The villain was always an Italian... we already shot that in Rome,' he said.
He added: 'We always had a Mexican actress playing this part.'
Yet many were left surprised at the casting, as unlike the rest of the cast, Sigman is largely unknown, unlike her co-stars Monica Bellucci, 50, who will be the oldest Bond girl to date, Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes.
She was born in 1987 in Ciudad Obregon in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, 326 miles south of the Arizona border, to mother Esthela and father Sanford.
Her aunt Sharon Sigman – who was married to Stephanie’s uncle – said: 'Stephanie’s dad Sanford is a scout for the NY Yankees baseball team and fell in love with Stephanie’s mom when he was on a trip to Mexico.
'It really was a beautiful love story, as he could not speak Spanish and Esthela could not speak English.
Auditioned to be on America’s Next Top Model, Stephanie walked out after bullies targeted her for being half Mexican, Daily Mail Online can reveal
'Yet despite this they fell in love, but as Esthela refused to move to the USA as she could not speak good English, Sanford commuted for work and the kids were raised in Mexico.
'Everyone grew up speaking Spanish not English.
'So to say Stephanie has come a long way, is an understatement. But it does not surprise us as she was always pretty special and was successful as a model, before she began acting.
'Her dad is 6ft 2 and her mum is 5ft 1, so Stephanie gets her height from her dad.
'But both her parents are gorgeous-looking - her dad looks like a young Paul Newman.
'Stephanie was always a lovely girl, so sweet and when she told us she was going to be the new Bond Girl we were all beyond excited for her.
'It’s fantastic.'
'To say Stephanie has come a long way, is an understatement,' Sigman's aunt tells Daily Mail Online. 'But it does not surprise us as she was always pretty special and was successful as a model, before she began acting.'
Fantastic for Stephanie for many reasons, one among them working with Daniel Craig, arguably the most successful Bond ever.
The actress called Daniel 'sexy' and told The Sun: 'The scene is sexy and Daniel is sexy.
'He was charming. We do have a lot of chemistry, which makes everything interesting and helps when there are a lot of takes.'
Stephanie’s break out role was in the 2011 Oscar-nominated ‘Miss Bala’ where she played a young girl who tries to rise above the gang violence of modern day Mexico to become a beauty queen.
While Stephanie has moved on from the modeling world, she is still intent on to keeping her body in top shape.
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ShareHer boxing trainer in Los Angeles, Eddie Hernandez, at the City of Angels Boxing Club said: 'It does not surprise me Stephanie has been picked to be a Bond Girl as she is one tough girl.
'She is so hard working and trains for three hours a day, every day, whenever she is in town.
'Her body is amazing and that’s because she puts the work in. She is super fit and could fight anyone. We cannot wait to see her as a Bond Girl.'
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