Kelsey Merritt Gets Candid About Growing Up in a Conservative Filipino Household

Her mom tried to ask her to take down a photo from her Sports Illustrated shoot.

Published on Jun 4, 2025

Kelsey Merritt is one of the modern, fashion-forward Filipinas who put the Philippines on the map. Her exceptional beauty and modeling skills have paved the way for her to become the first Filipina to walk the iconic Victoria’s Secret runway back in 2018, joining the likes of top models Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima, and Taylor Hill.

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The firsts don’t end there. Kelsey was also the first Filipina to grace Sports Illustrated, a renowned sports magazine that was launched in 1954. More than six decades since it was founded, a confident Filipina finally debuted in their 2019 issue.

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PHOTOS: Instagram/kelseymerritt

While a remarkable modeling career in New York sounds like a fantasy for a girl from a small town in Pampanga, things didn’t come easily for Kelsey, especially given the values that have been instilled in her since she was young. In a podcast episode released on June 3, 2025, Kelsey shared her experiences of growing up with an American dad and a Filipino mom with the host and content creator Valeria Lipovetsky.

Kelsey Merritt on Growing Up in a Strict Household

“My mom is [a] typical Filipino. She’s so strict, and my dad was more of the cooler and more flexible one,” the model said. Apart from excelling academically and having straight As in school, another one of her mom’s rules was dressing conservatively.

“I wasn’t allowed to wear a bikini until [I was] 20 years old, and I was already modeling.” Surely, the 2019 issue of Sports Illustrated (which Kelsey graced at 23) was not as big of a celebration as it should have been for her mom. “With Sports Illustrated, I’ll just get a DM from her [saying] ‘I think you should take this down.’ I was like, ‘Ma! This is what I do now.’”

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PHOTO: Instagram/kelseymerritt.

Relatable as Kelsey is, she got candid and imparted more stories rooted in her Filipino identity. Coming home for Christmas after her historic walk at Victoria’s Secret, she was taking a photo with her dear grandmother, who took the opportunity to tell her, “parang tumaba ka” or “I think you gained weight.” To this, Kelsey responded with “Grandma, I literally just did this fashion show. I’m like in [the] best shape I’ve ever been.”

Even the coveted model is no exception to the usual comments we, Filipinos, get from our relatives! Luckily, she finds the humor in it, and she also understands that they come from a place of love. For Kelsey, it made her the tough girl that she is today, which is especially beneficial in such a cutthroat modeling industry.

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PHOTOS: Instagram/kelseymerritt

The values Kelsey grew up with highly contributed to her style and approach to fashion, which is ultimately one of the things that make her stand out. “It’s always constantly ingrained in my head, and I think that’s why I've never been the type to like to show too much skin—even though I literally modeled for Victoria’s Secret. There’s always a tasteful way to do it, and that’s always been my approach to those things.” It’s no wonder why she is one of the faces of quiet luxury today.

Kyla Villena loves a good lip gloss and a trip to the art gallery. She is Preview's beauty girl, who doubles as a self-proclaimed motivational speaker.