Top Victoria's Secret Model, who was born to gay father and lesbian mother on IVF: 'I’m more than an IVF kid or science experiment'

Model Josephine Skriver

Josephine Skriver wants people to understand she is not a "science experiment" or synthetic.

The Victoria's Secret model was born using IVF to a gay father and a lesbian mother and is more than happy to discuss her upbringing. She's proud of who she is, insisting the only issue she has is with a society that thinks she's worth less than other people.

"When people look at me and know I'm an IVF kid, I hope they see a person. I hope they see a human being, just like anyone else," she said in a video for i-D.

"You get so many, like, 'She's not made the natural way, she shouldn't even be here.' But I am not a science experiment, I am not synthetics, I am a real human being. I am just as real as you are."

Josephine's words echo those of designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who caused widespread outrage earlier this year when they called IVF babies "synthetic children".

Read more

Read more:

Josephine's mother always knew she wanted children but because she wasn't going to be in a relationship with a man, she realised it would be hard.

In 1992 she placed an advertisement in an LGBT newsletter in Denmark, explaining she wanted a baby and asking if anyone wanted to be a part of it. The model's father was the first person to reply, and nine months later Josephine was born.

Although it may sound unusual to other people, Josephine wasn't made to feel different until quite late in life.

"I was such a proud kid growing up that no kid ever really bullied me. It wasn't until I actually started travelling as a model and I honestly realised how non-acceptant the rest of the world is. Social media is where it gets really hard with the hate. It's the one place where people can say whatever they want without the consequences. You get so many, 'That's disgusting, that's gross, I feel bad for you. Oh my god, I can't even believe it.' What is hard about the internet and social media is that I can't talk back," she explained.

That's why Josephine has decided to be open about her life, explaining that she's been handed a platform thanks to her career so feels it's only right she uses it.