Sports IllustratedThings don't always go according to plan.
The 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue's cover girl is usually revealed on The Late Show With David Letterman. This year, however, we found out early that Kate Upton had been bestowed the honor. (William DeFries spotted the cover at a Walgreen's in Michigan on Monday—pre-Letterman—and then shared it with Bar Stool Sports and pretty soon it was everywhere.)
So what did the lovely ladies have to say about their top-secret cover getting out early?
For the most part, they said that they didn't know it had leaked.
"I found out [that I was on the cover] in the room with nine other girls," Upton told E! News, adding that she "sent a mass text" to her family and friends to let them know. "I was so excited!"
So really, none of the girls caught a glimpse of Kate's cover before their late-night appearance?
"Well, it happens so fast," Chrissy Teigen explained of the big reveal. "It's always hectic and crazy and you have the fans waiting outside… It's crazy. It goes by in a flash though."
Genevieve Morton, who has posed for the mag the past three years, told a slightly different story. "That was the first time that we saw the cover, but apparently, one of the other girls knew already because her boyfriend had seen it," she said. "You've read about it on the internet! But for all of us—for most of us—it was a surprise."
Terry McDonell, editor of Time Inc. Sports group, wasn't fazed by the cover leak. "You try to plan, but in the end, I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes," he said. "For a while there, it felt like TMZ was working for us because they were pushing it so hard."
Things might not have worked out exactly as planned, but we have a feeling Kate Upton's cover issue will be flying off the shelves regardless.