A former Victoria's Secret Angel says she was denied a spot in the brand's 2025 fashion show amid her cancer journey.
Bianca Balti, 41, recently shared her story in a self-published essay on Substack. In the essay, the model -- who began treatment for ovarian cancer in October 2024 -- explained that she sent a letter to the company the week of Oct. 6 and asked to walk in the Oct. 15 fashion show.
PEOPLE reached out to Victoria's Secret for comment on Saturday, Oct. 18, but did not receive an immediate response.
Related: https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf
Balti wrote, "I don't know exactly where the courage came from but I did it. The only things we regret in life are the chances we don't take. So I asked myself, 'What do I have to lose?' and went for it. I searched LinkedIn for email addresses and sent this open letter to anyone I could find at the company."
Balti included a transcript of the letter in full, which she addressed to the "Victoria's Secret Team."
"Over the past few years, I've watched your brand's beautiful transformation -- a true commitment to diversity and inclusion," the letter began. "I've seen women of every size, ethnicity, gender, and age represented in your campaigns and shows. When I saw the announcement that the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was returning this year, I felt something powerful: I should be there too."
She continued, "I'm not the youngest, curviest, or fittest. But I am strong, brave, and alive -- and I'm still damn sexy. I wear my scars proudly and rock my newly grown hair with pride. Having me on that runway wouldn't just be a personal dream fulfilled; it would send a message to millions of women: 'Life goes on in the face of adversity. You are not less of a woman. You are whole. You are sexy. You are unstoppable.' "
"I'm living proof of that," she added.
"Thank you for considering me -- not just for myself, but for every woman who needs to see hope and strength reflected back at her," the Sports Illustrated model concluded her letter.
Later in her essay, Balti highlighted the diversity of the 2024 fashion show: "Two trans women, three plus-size powerhouses -- Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Devyn Garcia -- and an age range that stretched from 22-year-old Lila Moss to 56-year-old Carla Bruni."
She then explained why she should be included this year, "Not (only) because I'm beautiful but because I represent the millions of women who have, have had, or will have cancer. I want to show them that a diagnosis is not the end of beauty, or confidence, or sensuality. That scars don't erase who we are. That life after cancer can still be bold, sexy, and full."
Never miss a story -- sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Balti said she heard back from Victoria's Secret, which "kindly" denied her request, allegedly stating that the show had already been fully cast.
"And that's okay," Balti continued in her essay.
"I made this bold move because ever since I got sick, I've felt a responsibility to bring hope not just to women with cancer, but to everyone learning to live again after hardship. I tried. It didn't happen. But I have no regrets. Cancer taught me that life is too short not to try and that trying never kills you," she added.
Balti shared that she underwent a preventative mastectomy in 2022 "after discovering I carry the BRCA1 gene, a mutation that greatly increases the risk of breast cancer." She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer two years later.
The model walked the Victoria's Secret runway in 2005 for their then-annual fashion show. The brand canceled the show indefinitely in 2019 amid controversy surrounding representation and inclusivity. The company announced that it was reviving the show in 2024, and the most recent event on Oct. 15 marked its second year back.