Hunter McGrady is an American plus-size model and healthy body image activist who has been hailed as the curviest model to ever appear in a Sports Illustrated issue after she bagged a spread in its 2017 Swimsuit Edition.
She was born on 4 May 1993 in Westlake Village, California, USA, to parents Michael McGrady and Brynja McGrady. She is currently 28 years old, standing at the height of 5 ft 11 in or 1.8 m. Over the years in her modeling career, she has made a strong impression in the fashion industry with her skills and talent and rose to stardom.
Hunter McGrady Says She Caught The Covid-19 When 7 Months Pregnant
The model, who had been expecting her first child together with husband Brian Keys, revealed she tested positive for the coronavirus seven months into her pregnancy.
“When I was seven months pregnant – which no one knows – I had COVID,” she shared in a recent appearance on her Model Citizen podcast.
Thankfully, McGrady’s symptoms weren’t as serious as she had anticipated. She said that “it ended up showing up kind of like a sinus infection.” However, the family did have some issues in their health, and although they recovered from the virus, McGrady’s health woes weren’t over.
PEOPLE magazine reported she was later diagnosed with preeclampsia. Mayo Clinic revealed the pregnancy condition is “characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organs system, most often the liver and kidneys.”
McGrady said that the diagnosis means she’ll likely have to be induced before her baby’s due date.
“So it was COVID… then I got diagnosed with preeclampsia, then I lost my little brother,” Hunter said in reference to her younger sibling Tynan, who died on 1 May at the age of 23. “Needless to say, pregnancy has been a wild ride.”
Hunter also had to grieve for her brother’s death earlier month as her due date approached. She opened up in May of 2021 on her Instagram account about grieving the loss of her younger sibling while preparing to welcome her first child with her husband, Brian Keys.
“Pregnancy and grieving. Two things you don’t think would ever happen simultaneously. It’s the loss of one life and the gain of another,” she wrote in the caption, posting a stunning nude maternity photo.
“I have had so many people check in on the baby and me and ask how we’re doing and handling all of this,” Hunter continued. “The truth is, in the beginning, I was scared. I was scared to have a baby in a world without my brother in it. I am still scared, I’m scared that I will have to learn how to mourn and be a good mother and hopefully navigate the two.” She further added to give a heartfelt message for her lost brother and concluded by saying, “Oh sweet baby boy… We are counting down the days to meet you, my love”.
Hunter McGrady Married Life With Husband Brian Keys
Hunter McGrady is a married woman. She tied the knot with Brian Keys. Through Brian’s LinkedIn page, we have found out that he has held many art director roles throughout his career, but he currently is the Vice President/Creative Art Director for the BCB Group.
The pair got married almost two years ago, on 16 June 2019, in Moorpark, California, where they not only recited vows to each other, but Hunter also said one to her future stepdaughter, who was 8 years old at the time. Hunter donned a wedding dress designed by Watter Bridal, paired with a veil by Daphne Newman and earrings by Hearts on Fire while tying the knot. McGrady chose her two best friends as bridesmaids and her sister as maid of honor to accompany the bride.
Hunter McGrady with her husband, Brian Keys, in their wedding (©:PEOPLE)
While choosing her wedding dress, she had a tough wedding dress shopping experience. “We kind of just told them my vision, and they brought that to life,” Hunter said of her custom-made wedding dress from Watters Bridal. “For me, being plus-sized, it was tough for me to find any kind of wedding dress that I felt like myself in,” she added. “I’m not ashamed of my body, and I wanted something that was really tight-fitting and shows off my curves.” So, since she didn’t find any suitable wedding dress while in-shopping, she had to tap in with Watter Bridals for a custom-made dress, and she liked it.
“We honeymooned in Turks and Caicos, and then we literally closed on a house on our honeymoon,” she told PEOPLE on last of 2019. “We got back and moved into our first home together, so it’s been like within six months we got married, honeymooned, bought a house,” said McGrady.
The couple got together thanks to their social media. Brian had a long crush on Hunter before she became famous and had followed on her Snapchat account. When Hunter once came to New York City, Brian reached out to her on her Snapchat to hang out for some time. So, they hit off well together and eventually started dating. He popped the question to Hunter in 2018 in Central Park during the holiday season of that year, and now after getting married, they are looking forward to welcoming their first child together.
Hunter announced her pregnancy on Instagram in March of 2021, sharing a picture from a stunning maternity photoshoot as she posed while cradling her baby bump, captioning, “Of all the things I’ve done or created, you are by far the greatest.” She also added, “can’t wait to welcome you this summer.”
Net Worth And Career Of Hunter McGrady
Hunter McGrady began her career as a model when she was just 16 years old. At the time, she desperately tried to be scouted by some modeling agencies. She managed to lose some weight, but it wasn’t sufficient for her to get a modeling job, and she eventually got turned away.
Nonetheless, she still tried to lose some more weight and reached a realization that she was not changing anything. So, when she turned 18, she consulted a nutritionist and changed her diet and exercise schedule. She then focused on getting her body to a healthier weight, hence the Hunter McGrady weight gain.
It was in the year 2012 that she started posing as a plus-size model. She finally accepted her body and was signed with Wilhelmina Models, who were looking for plus-size models at the time, at the age of 20.
Hunter has worked with famous brands such as Lucky Brand, Bare Necessities, Lane Bryant, Torrid, Nordstorm, Forever 21, and much more throughout her career. In 2017, she became the curviest model to star in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and got featured in it in 2018 and 2019. She also had a photoshoot for the 2020 issue in Bali for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
Hunter has modeled for Melissa McCarthy’s clothing line Seven7 and did photoshoots for Ashley Graham’s Swimsuits For All. She walked the ramp for New York Fashion Week in September 2017. She is also interested in launching her own clothing and cosmetics line in the future.