Kate Upton is an American model and actress known for featuring on the cover of many renowned magazines such as Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated Swim Suits, GQ, Vogue, French ELLE, and Esquire.
Kate rose to stardom in 2012 after her Dougie dance video went viral. She became even more popular after being featured on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue’s cover in 2011.
Upton was included in the 2012 Maxim Hot 100 list. Moreover, Upton was named the Sexiest Woman Alive in 2014 by People magazine.
Besides modeling, Kate has appeared in several Hollywood movies like Tower Heist, The Other Women, and The Layover.
Regarding her personal life, Kate is married to professional MLB pitcher Justin Verlander. Justin recently agreed to a two-year contract with the New York Jets on December 6, 2022.
Please stick with us to learn more about Kate Upton’s professional and personal life.
But before going forward, let’s have a look into quick facts.
Kate Upton | Quick Facts
Full Name | Katherine Elizabeth Upton |
Date of Birth | June 10, 1992 |
Birth Place | St. Joseph, Michigan, USA |
Nick Name | Kate Upton |
Age | 32 Years Old |
Gender | Female |
Religion | Christian |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Horoscope | Gemini |
Height | 5’8″/1.77 m/177 cm |
Weight | 62kg/136 lbs |
Build | Athletic |
Shoe size | 9.5 |
Hair Colour | Blonde |
Eye Colour | Blue/ Green |
Father’s Name | Jeff Upton |
Mother’s Name | Shelley Upton |
Siblings | Laura Upton, Christine Williams, and David Upton |
Relationship | Married |
Husband | Justin Verlander |
Children | Genevieve Upton Verlander (Daughter) |
Education | Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy |
Profession | Model/ Actress |
Hobbies | Traveling, Fitness, Horseback Riding, Music |
Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
Net Worth | $20 Million |
Merch | Posters, Clothing |
Last Update | August 2024 |
Kate Upton | Early Life & Childhood
The American model, Kate, was born on June 10, 1992, in St. Joseph, Michigan, to supporting and loving parents Jeff Upton and Shelley Upton.
Her father, Jeff, was a high school athletics director, while her mother, Shelley, is a former Texas state tennis champion.
She grew up with three siblings; two sisters, Laura Upton and Christine Williams, and a brother David Upton.
The American model’s family moved to Melbourne, Florida, in 1999. Later she attended Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy.
She competed as an equestrian in American Paint Horse Association (APHA) and other national competitions during high school.
Upton won many titles with her horse Roanie Pony. She finished third overall in APHA Youth Top twenty ranking.
In addition, Kate clinched three APHA Reserve World Championships and 13 Under Reserve All-Around titles making her total tally to four.
The sexiest women of 2014 won the 13 and Under Championship Western Riding titles, the 12 and Under Horsemanship titles, and the 14-18 Western Riding titles simultaneously.
She won 14-18 Western Riding with her second horse, Colby, and was included in the Top 5 in the 14-18 Horsemanship.
Kate Upton | Professional Career
Modeling
Kate began her modeling career when she was 15 years old. In 2008, she signed her first modeling contract with Elite Model Management.
However, after moving to New York, she joined IMG models. She did her first modeling assignment with Garage and Dooney & Bourke.
Later in 2011, she was featured in body paint for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The same year, Kate was awarded SI Swimsuit Rookie of the Year.
Kate’s popularity reached another level after her video of performing Dougie dance during Clippers games in April 2011 went viral all over the internet.
In February 2012, Kate appeared as the cover model of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue for the first time. She again appeared on the cover for a second time in 2013.
As part of her pictorial, she went to Antarctica for filming. Kate is the first-ever model to do a photo shoot in Antarctica.
Likewise, in June 2013, she landed on Vogue Cover photographed by Mario Testino. She was also featured on Vanity Fair’s 100th-anniversary cover.
In 2014, during the 50th anniversary of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, She did a photoshoot in zero gravity as part of a pictorial.
It was the first time SI magazine used such type of cover. In 2017, Kate again returned to the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
Movies
Kate Upton made her acting debut in 2011 as Mr. Hightower’s mistress in the movie Tower Heist. That same year, Kate also appeared in The Three Stooges.
Kate appeared as Coster-Waldau’s character mistress in The Other Woman in 2014.
The American model and actress played in The Layover alongside Alexandra Daddario in 2017. The same year she was featured in the film adaption The Disaster Artist.
Besides that, she has appeared in multiple TV shows such as Saturday Night Live, Barely Famous, Lip Sync Battle, and Project Runway.
Awards
In 2012, Models.com ranked Kate the fifth Sexiest Model in the World, whereas Top 99 Women by AskMen ranked her third.
Upton won Model of the Year at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the 10th annual styles awards in the same year.
In 2014, Peoples magazine awarded Kate Upton with “Sexiest Women.” It was the first time the title was awarded to anyone by the magazine.
Kate Upton | Personal Life
Kate Upton is married to Justin Verlander. The pair first met during a commercial shooting for the Major League Baseball 2k12 video game.
However, the two made their relationship public only on January 2013. Although the couple broke up in mid-2013, they again entered the relationship in January 2014.
Kate and Justin got engaged in April 2016 and married on November 4, 2017, in Lisa Vorce. However, Italy was their top honeymoon priority, as that was the place where they went for their first vacation together.
They got an early wedding gift after Verlander won his first World Series title on November 1, 2017.
In the Tonight Show by Jimmy Fallon, Kate and Verlander revealed that they planned the wedding before he was traded to Houston Astros.
On November 7, 2018, Upton gave birth to her only child Genevieve Upton Verlander.
Get To Know More About Justin Verlander
Verlander is a 32 years old MLB pitcher currently playing for the New York Mets of the Major League Baseball (MLB).
Justin previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. He attended Old Dominion University and played college baseball for the Monarchs.
Detriot Lions drafted him as the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft. The baseball pitcher made his debut with the Tigers in 2005 after playing for 12 years as the ace.
Verlander won AL MVP Award and Al Cy Young Award in 2011 and became the fourth Tigers starter to do so in the franchise’s history. Likewise, he is five times AL strikeout leader.
In 2017, Verlander won his first and only World Series title. He is a nine-time MLB All-Star, led the AL in strikeout five times, and earned run average twice.
Verlander has also reached many milestones in the MLB. In 2018, he became the 114th and 20th fastest MLB pitcher to win 200 careers.
Similarly, in 2019 he became the 18th pitcher in MLB history to record three career no-hitters and 3000 strikeouts.
Verlander agreed on a 2-year, $86.7 million contract with the New York Mets, including a $35 million vesting option for 2025.
Kate Upton | Lifestyle
Kate Upton likes to spend time with her friends and family. She is also an avid traveler and likes to travel to many tourist destinations worldwide.
Fitness and Diet
Supermodel Kate Upton has become a fitness guru. She and her trainer Ben Bruno started Strong 4 Me Fitness mainly to help busy women worldwide.
Their online fitness program provides workout plans, meal guidance, and merch to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.
Upton herself, works hard to maintain her body and fitness level. She keeps her meal to a gluten-free diet as possible.
Likewise, she does intense three to four-circuit training five times a week. Her workout includes cardio, boxing, resistance bands, stability balls, and weighted training.
Real Estate
In 2021, Kate and her husband Justin purchased a $3.65 million single-story mansion in Jupiter, Florida.
The 4,600 sq. ft property has four bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. The primary suite has panoramic water views. It also includes a swimming pool, built-in barbecue, open kitchen, club room, and fireplace.
The couple also purchased a large area of underdeveloped land in Florida to build a new dream house from scratch.
During the off-season, Kate and her family spend quality time in their $5.25 million Beverly Hills mansion. The 5,706 sq mansion has a swimming pool, spa, tennis court, and outdoor lounge.
Tattoo
Kate Upton only has two tattoos. The first one is the horseshoe tattoo on her left wrist side. She is a horse lover, so it makes sense why she got that one.
Likewise, she has a cross tattoo on the side of her right hand. She got it after someone joked about her wearing a cross necklace bought by her mother in the photo shoot.
Kate Upton | Salary & Net Worth
Kate Upton has earned a substantial fortune thanks to her successful modeling career. In 2014, she became the highest-paid model in the world, earning $7 million.
Similarly, in the same year, she became the centerpiece of a $40 million advertising campaign for the online mobile game Game of War: Fire Age.
However, her present salary is not revealed to the public and remains unknown.
She has modeled and been featured on the cover of many renowned and prestigious magazines and brands.
Kate has a net worth of about $20 million as of 2024. Likewise, her husband, Justin Verlander, has a net worth of $150 million.
Upton and her husband recently invested in a Mexican football club Necaxa alongside soccer player Mesut Ozil.
Kate Upton | Social Media Presence
Upton is one of the most beautiful top models and actress, so it’s no surprise that she has millions of fan followers on her social media platforms.
Instagram: 6.5 million followers
View this post on Instagram
Twitter: 2 million followers
Facebook: 4.6 million
Usually, Kate likes to post videos and photos of her photoshoot, travel shorts, and advertising campaigns on her social accounts.
Kate Upton | Popularity
The American model is well-known for appearing in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Magazines like Vanity, Vogue, and many more.
The graph shows her search trend for 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Why is Kate Upton famous?
Kate Upton is a well-known supermodel globally featured on the cover of famous and renowned magazines for a decade. Her fame skyrocketed when she appeared on the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 2012.
How many children does Kate Upton have?
Kate Upton and his husband, Justin Verlander, have only one child, a three-year-old daughter Genevieve Upton Verlander.