Adriana Lima Said She Was 'Shocked' When She Saw Recent Red Carpet Photos of Herself: 'That's Not Me'

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar Arabia, the model reacts to criticism about her red carpet appearances, embracing her age and setting a strong example for her children

Adriana Lima is getting candid about how she sees herself.

The supermodel, 42, opened up in a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia about the criticism she received for her looks while attending the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes.

“It did not bother me at all,” Lima told the outlet. “I’m very strong that way, and honestly, I looked at myself before I stepped out and I was feeling great. I was with my children, and they looked at me and were like, ‘Mom! You look so beautiful!’”

She attended the event in a black minidress with red accents and pointy-toe heels with her boyfriend, Andre Lemmers, and daughters, Sienna, 11, and Valentina, 14, whom she shares with her ex-husband Marko Jarić. They were also joined at the event by Lemmers' two children, Miah and Lupo.

Related: Adriana Lima Claps Back at Negative Comments About Her Post-Baby Appearance: 'Thanks for Your Concern'

Her appearance prompted some negative comments online, including suggestions that she had recently undergone cosmetic procedures. While the comments didn’t “bother” her, she admitted to Harper’s Bazaar Arabia that she was “shocked” seeing photos of herself on the red carpet.

“I was like ‘that’s not me,’“ the model recalled. “Everything was strange because I don’t see myself like that. I still don’t see myself like that… you can see yourself differently.”

“I didn’t get offended or anything, though – I was laughing,” she continued. “The point is, I am not 16 years old. I started modeling at 16 but I will never be 16 again. I’m 42 and I’m the happiest I’ve been; the happiest with myself. I embrace my age and I will not change for anyone.”

She echoed the same sentiments on social media last month, clapping back at critics with a make-up free selfie on her Instagram Story. "The face of a tired mom of one teenage girl, two preteens, a 1-year-old learning to walk, and three dogs," she wrote over the photo, adding, "Thanks for your concern."

Related: Adriana Lima Feels 'Celebrated' by Victoria's Secret After Having a Baby at 41: 'It's Uplifting' (Exclusive)

Elsewhere in her interview, Lima said she believes women "are being celebrated in every stage of our life.”

“I’m happy to see that change because one of my daughters wants to be a model,” she told Harper's Bazaar Arabia of Valentina. “And I felt very sad that she, as a model, would be celebrated for only a certain time frame of her life. I think that every stage is a beautiful time and I’m loving that fashion is now embracing that.”

However, Lima believes the industry is still making changes slowly. "I don’t think we’re [totally] moving away from ‘thin, young and beautiful’; I think that the world is creating space for everyone – and everyone with their uniqueness is being celebrated," she told the magazine, adding that she believes "there is beauty in every stage of a woman and man’s life and it’s wonderful to see that there can be space for everybody."

Lima — who was a Victoria's Secret angel from 1999 to 2018 — reunited with the brand in September as the face of its new Heavenly Eau de Parfum. She told PEOPLE it felt "uplifting" to be celebrated by the brand at that particular moment in her career.

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 juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I feel that as a woman, and still being in fashion — I’m 42 years old and a mom with five kids, so I feel that I’m still being celebrated in this stage of my life,” she said at a September event in honor of Victoria’s Secret’s The Tour.

“It’s great to see that no matter what stage you are [in life], for my kids and the new models coming up, it’s uplifting."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.