Alix Earle Turns Heads in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Photoshoot
On Tuesday morning, the cover models for the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition were officially unveiled, and social media sensation Alix Earle was revealed as one of the magazine's four cover models.
Earle joins Hilary Duff, Nicole Williams English, and Tiffany Haddish on the cover of the iconic magazine that will be hitting shelves and newsstands later this month.
Who is Alix Earle?
Alix Earle rose to social media fame by posting her iconic "Get Ready With Me" videos on TikTok while attending the University of Miami, essentially starting the GRWM genre. Her breakthrough came when she embraced vulnerability by sharing her acne struggles online, helping her amass four million followers in a single month during her senior year.
During her videos, Earle would regularly endorse beauty and skincare products, and her opinion became so important that the products she endorsed sold out almost immediately.
Since she exploded into fame on TikTok, she has expanded into other avenues. She launched the Hot Mess with Alix Earle podcast and began documenting her life in YouTube vlogs. Her successful social media career earned her a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 as well as on the inaugural TIME100 Creators list.
In January, Earle announced that she had landed her own unscripted show on Netflix. Then, in late March, he launched her first skincare line, Reale Actives, which promptly sold out on the first day.
Earle dated former Miami Hurricanes and current Houston Texans wide receiver Braxton Berrios until the couple broke up in December of 2025. Earle has since been linked to Tom Brady, though those rumors have never been confirmed.
This past season, Earle also competed on Dancing with the Stars season 34, where she finished in second place with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy, finishing behind only Robert Erwin.
Alix Earle 2026 Cover Model
Her third year as a model for SI Swim, Earle has now landed her first print cover, posing for her feature with photographer Ruven Afanador.
"Alix has grown up in the public eye and transformed access into influence," SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day said of social media sensation.
ALIX EARLE
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) May 12, 2026
SI SWIMSUIT 2026 COVER MODEL#SISwim26#AlixEarlepic.twitter.com/h2yIFUAcs3
Earle aimed to bring her iconic authenticity to her cover shoot.
"I often feel like I am a big sister to my audience," Earle said. "I'm being honest and hopefully showing that it is O.K. to embrace exactly who you are … And that's exactly what SI Swim does. It's not about presenting this perfect picture. It celebrates women, not because they are flawless, but because they are fully themselves-the good, the bad, everything."
You can see the full gallery of her breathtaking shoot in Botswana here.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 11:31 AM.