Janice Dickinson sparks concern with swollen face... amid lawsuit over her 'altered look' from jungle fall

Supermodel legend Janice Dickinson has sparked concern after stepping out in Los Angeles with a noticeably swollen appearance.

The 71-year-old former America's Next Top Model judge was seen enjoying a casual stroll, her face looking fuller than usual.

Dressed in a relaxed outfit, including slippers, Dickinson appeared to be in good spirits.

The sighting comes amid an ongoing legal battle surrounding a $900k personal injury lawsuit filed against ITV, in which Dickinson alleges that a 2022 fall while filming I’m A Celebrity... South Africa has caused alterations to her face.

The star was forced to leave the South African edition of the show after suffering head and facial injuries when she tripped at the jungle camp while attempting to find the toilet in the middle of the night.

Earlier this year, Dickinson shared graphic photos of her injuries, which shocked fans and led her to claim that her face had been 'permanently altered' by the fall.

In a new development, sources say the bosses at I’m A Celebrity have reportedly suggested that Dickinson may have been responsible for the fall, further complicating the legal case. 

The company is allegedly claiming the fall could have been prevented if Janice had gone to the bathroom before everyone went to bed, with show executives having  now 'insisted Janice is the author of her own misfortune'.

In alleged court documents obtained by The Sun, they say: 'The participants were advised to use lavatories and complete activities before retiring to their beds.

'An acceptable level of night-time lighting had been collectively agreed on the first night and there were no objections made.

'The camp layout was not varied or altered, but fixed. There was a smooth unobstructed earthen surface around the campfire and bench vicinity and this path surface continued out to the lavatories.'

They added that Janice 'was attempting unnecessarily to pass between or over one of the fixed campfire benches when she could have walked round them'.

Daily Mail has contacted Janice's representatives and ITV for comment.

Sources claim that Janice suffered 'permanent traumatic scarring across multiple areas of her face, including the lips and mouth area, both cheeks, the chin and lower face,' when she tripped in the dark.

It came as she also alleged that she had been given sleep medication by a medic employed by ITV at the time of the fall.

Legal documents state that the medication can cause drowsiness and impaired balance - making her 'particularly vulnerable' when moving around at night. 

Sources close to the star are also claiming the injuries have had a wider effect on her modelling career. 

A source told The Sun: 'Her face has been permanently altered and the scars and indentations cannot be corrected.' 

Doctors have also claimed that Janice suffered permanent facial scarring, deformity and nerve damage and cannot be corrected by surgery.

An insider told The Mirror: 'Janice has been at the forefront of modelling for decades and has been the face of Chanel, Dior and Gianni Versace. The trauma she suffered is a devastating blow.'

Documents obtained by the publication have been filed by the law firm Taylor Hampton at London's High Court.

Janice is now claiming that ITV are legally liable to pay compensation, with sources adding that the model believes a combination of the sleep medication and the dark camp led to her fall.

The former fashion star had previously appeared on I'm A Celeb back in 2007, and returned for the star-studded South African version in 2023.

It is thought that one of the night lights in the camp hadn't been switched on, which may have contributed to Janice's tumble, with the star reportedly getting up in early hours to go to the toilet when she tripped in the dark camp.

An ITV spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'Janice Dickinson's letter of claim has been received and reviewed. IAC operates a high level of safety protocols and the health, safety and welfare of all of our contributors are our number one priority.

'We don't recognise this version of events. However, we looked after Dickinson at the time, paid her medical expenses, flew her home to LA, and the I'm A Celebrity team were in regular contact with Janice and her representatives on an ongoing basis after she returned home to America until after the programme aired seven months later.'

It's thought that bosses are also concerned this could lead to other injured filing similar lawsuits, and it could force future I'm A Celebrity stars to sign legal waivers.

Janice's legal battle comes despite admitting in a podcast she would 'absolutely' return to I'm A Celeb if asked by bosses.

The fashion star made the admissions on the Reality TV On Record podcast, which was released over a year after her appearance on the South African version.

She said: 'I'm a big fan of the show. Don't get me wrong. I love the idea and the nature of the show and the people on the show. And I love the producers who are in the back of the scenes.'

When asked: 'If they phone you again, would you go back?' she replied: 'Absolutely.'

Janice was also said to be 'betrayed, humiliated and crushed' after her former campmates likened her to a 'witch' hours after she was stretchered out in the show.

When Helen Flanagan read Dickinson's farewell letter at the time of her exit, ex-England cricket captain Phil Tufnell sneered that she had signed it 'with her broomstick'.

His remark prompted laughter from Joe Swash, Dean Gaffney and Myleene Klass.

After watching the footage back for her legal case, a source close to Janice told the Daily Mail: 'Janice was really shocked to hear the comments Phil made, especially as she publicly praised him for helping her when she was injured.

'People think it was just a simple trip and fall. It wasn't a scrape, these were deep wounds, bleeding from four different areas on her face and the blood pouring down, it was like something out of a horror film.

'Phil saw she was frightened and severely injured and as someone older, would be aware of how a fall can dent a person's confidence. No matter what you think of a person, there was no need for those comments. She was really taken aback seeing Joe and Myleene laughing at the comments, it's not what you'd expect from them.

'Janice was gobsmacked at how those comments even made it to air and how there was such an attitude to ageism and misogyny. You never see young women being referred to as witches.'

Following her fall, Janice was forced to take a series of three injections against rabies, which ITV initially refused to cover, according to The Sun.

She also claimed they failed to contact her directly once she had returned home to Los Angeles.

Janice told the publication: 'ITV need to take some responsibility... I was so f***ed up, my face was bloody, all cut up. Those motherf***s left me there bleeding in the dark for ten minutes. ITV had a duty of care and they let me down big time.'

The model told The Sun's TV Mag at the time of the accident: 'I was feeling very insecure because the campfire had gone out and it was as dark as it could be. So I thought: 'Right, I'll make it to the dunny from memory.'

'I walked a couple of steps and tripped, flying flat on my face – hair all over my forehead, my nose was bloody and my whole chin was gashed open.

'Blood was gushing from all these areas, and there was dirt and stones embedded in my face from the fall.'

She added: 'All I could feel was an intense head pain – from one to ten it was about a nine – and I was just lying there, moaning. It was a freak accident that happened so quickly.'