The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Just Made History

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition 2021 has arrived and three gorgeous women are gracing the covers this year. Model Leyna Bloom, tennis great Naomi Osaka, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion (née Pete) are the chosen cover stars this year. The theme is “Opening Eyes, Speaking Truths, and Changing Minds,” and there are no better women for the job.

Both Bloom and Pete are making history with their covers. Bloom is Sports Illustrated’s first transgender cover model and the first transgender woman of color to appear in the magazine at all. Pete shared on her Instagram account that she is the first female rapper to grace the famed cover. And Osaka makes a powerful statement all her own, recently speaking out about the importance of prioritizing one’s mental health and becoming an influential figure both on and off the tennis court.

“If there's one thing that our cover models have in common, it's that they don't have one thing in common,” Day said in a press release. “They look different, have different upbringings, have different passions and inspirations. But each is a reminder that beauty comes in many forms.”

See all 3 covers below.

Each cover star wore a different yet equally stylish swimsuit. Bloom posed in a plunging white one-piece with a tie-waist belt from Gil Rodriguez.

Osaka stood strong in a mesh-paneled and faux-leather one-shoulder swimsuit designed by Norma Kamali and giant pukka shell earrings from Beads by Cowrie.

And finally, Pete, who Editor-in-Chief MJ Day called a “magnetic powerhouse taking the world by storm,” posed by the water’s edge in a nude strappy bikini from Fashion Nova.

Head to Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition’s Instagram page for behind-the-scenes video from all 3 cover shoots.