"I can be whoever I want to be" - When Derek Jeter's wife Hannah reflected on the 'liberating’ moment of feeling accepted in fashion world
New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter's wife, Hannah Jeter, was scouted as a model while playing tennis on the Caribbean circuit as a nationally ranked junior player in the mid-2000s. She went on to appear for Ralph Lauren, Blue Label and walked in their 2006 Spring/Summer runway show.
Hannah also worked for Victoria's Secret as well as American Eagle Outfitters, Tommy Hilfiger and Levi's. However, it wasn't until her appearance on the cover of the 2015 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue that she finally felt accepted by the industry.
During an interview with Editorialist in July 2024, Hannah disclosed how she felt until that point in the industry.
“I felt like I didn’t really belong in either one,” Hannah said. “Some clients would say, ‘You’re too curvy,’ and some would say, ‘You just shot bikini for this client, so we don’t want you shooting editorial for this client.’ I wanted to do a little of everything, but couldn’t figure out where my place was.”
However, everything changed when Jeter landed her first feature in Sports Illustrated’s iconic Swimsuit Edition.
“A few years before I got the cover, when I was just a girl in the magazine, I remember talking to my agent and saying, ‘Okay, what should I do before the shoot? Do I need to dye my hair? Do I need to lose weight?’ And they were like, ‘Girl, they love you as you are,’” Hannah told the magazine.
“I started working out differently, I started eating differently," Hannah added. "I got out of my head a little bit. I felt this power of, you know what? I can be whoever I want to be. I finally felt, frankly, accepted. This business is not typically one that loves you how you are. So that was very liberating.”
Derek Jeter's wife Hannah's life beyond the runway
After a decade-long career in the modeling industry, Hannah Jeter finally chose to settle down with Derek Jeter, whom she married in July 2016.
She stepped away from the glamor world of New York to embrace a new lifestyle in Miami after welcoming her first daughter, Bella, with Jeter. The couple added two more daughters, Story, Story Grey, and River Rose, and a son, Kaius Green.
During the same interview, Hannah revealed that after moving to Miami, she has fallen in love with the city and her new lifestyle.
“I never thought I would love [Miami] so much,” she said.
While her modeling career slowed down, she continues to voice her opinions on a lot of topics through various platforms.