Supermodel Kate Upton Praises Ashley Graham: ''No One Should be Labeled By Their Body Size''

Find out what the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover star had to say about the newbie's debut

Kate Upton knows a thing or two about posing for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

She was the magazine's Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was on the cover in 2012 and 2013.

So when I caught up with her yesterday to talk about her upcoming dog adoption event, I had to ask what she thinks about Ashley Graham's debut on the cover of the most recent Swimsuit Issue.

"I was so excited," Upton said. "She looks absolutely stunning. So do the other cover girls, but I was excited that it showed all the different body types. I think it's important for all girls to see that…It's great that Sports Illustrated showed that every woman can look amazing in a bikini."

Upton thinks Graham's appearance is one more step in pushing the fashion world to stop using the "plus-size" label.

"No one should be labeled by their body size at all," she said.

In fact, Graham appears on the new cover of Maxim.

Despite some fans thinking that the image was retouched to make her look thinner, the photographer behind the shots quickly shot down their theories. "I shoot this image of Ashley, and we don't slimmer her at all!!! Sorry because you sound so convinced," famed fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon wrote on Graham's Instagram in response to one outraged fan.  

He also wrote, "In fact (almost no photoshop) sorry to disappoint you."

Graham also defended the untouched pics. "I'm beyond proud to be the first curvy woman on the cover of Maxim," she said in a statement. "I was not slimmed down on the cover, and Gilles Bensimon did an amazing job capturing my true figure in all of the photos."