Romee Strijd, who previously appeared as a Victoria's Secret Angel, has confirmed she will not be part of the 2026 Fashion Show lineup, a development that diverges from what some had anticipated. In a TikTok post published a few days before the event, the Dutch model described how she learned she had not been cast, noting that the manner in which the news was relayed to her had left her dissatisfied.
Reports indicate that Frida Aasen is also among those understood to have been absent from the show's lineup. Strijd, who turns 32 this year, took part in the casting process for the latest Victoria's Secret Fashion Show but was not selected to walk — having previously appeared in the event each year from 2014 through 2018.
Her account described active preparations for a possible comeback, with the drawn-out period of not knowing adding its own layer of difficulty. Strijd disclosed in a TikTok clip published on 12 October that a September trip to New York for casting had followed a summer devoted to training. After the births of her two children, she indicated a desire to step back onto the runway and take part in the show.
No answer materialised over the following weeks. As the event drew nearer, her management had yet to provide any confirmation, despite her having contacted them on multiple occasions. Strijd noted that getting ready for the casting process drew heavily on her time and energy, a challenge compounded by the demands of raising a family.
Preparation on her side continued because modelling work can come through at short notice, though without any confirmed schedule, mapping out the weeks ahead remained an ongoing challenge. In a follow-up video post, Strijd shared that a conclusive response had been received. She noted that setbacks are an accepted part of the process, yet the way everything unfolded left a wound that cut deeper than simply not getting what she wanted.
Strijd indicated that she pursued an explanation for the decision to pass her over, yet the details provided left the full picture unclear to her. According to her own account, the production team told her at the outset that she did not fit what they were looking for in that season's cast. She noted that her agency subsequently provided a version of events that differed from its earlier account of how the casting team had communicated, leaving the timeline of what took place unclear, and added that she did not feel her agency had been behind her throughout the process.
She stated that the full picture of events had not yet become clear to her. She noted that an earlier, direct response would have been her preference, as it would have given her the chance to accept the outcome and move on rather than spend weeks without clarity on where things stood. The protracted wait for clarity, she indicated, had taken a psychological toll — made heavier by the groundwork she had already laid.
Looking back on how things unfolded, Strijd indicated that casting work was unlikely to be part of her plans going forward, given her dissatisfaction with how the process had played out. She expressed reservations about how the overall process unfolded. "I don't like the way I was treated, and I would love to keep the positive memories, obviously."
Aasen, the Norwegian model, is understood to have faced a turn-down at the audition stage as well. Her non-appearance at the upcoming runway event drew attention, given that she had taken part in the label's shows during both 2017 and 2018. No independent verification of the reported casting result has been carried out.
Ten models have been confirmed for the October 18 show: Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, Imaan Hammam, Anok Yai, Candice Swanepoel, Ashley Graham, Abby Champion, Alex Consani, and Devyn Garcia.
