Rejected Victoria's Secret veteran hits back at brand's statement on why she wasn't cast in annual show

Former Victoria’s Secret Angel Romee Strijd has responded to the lingerie brand's statement explaining why she wasn't cast in its latest runway show.

Earlier this month, the 31-year-old Dutch model fought back tears in a TikTok clip as she revealed she was rejected from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

The company later issued a response, telling Vanity Fair: 'Romee holds an important place within Victoria’s Secret and we deeply value her longstanding relationship with the brand and the dedication she has demonstrated throughout her career with us.

'We can confirm that Victoria’s Secret and [casting director] Piergiorgio Del Moro communicated directly to her representation and formally released her from the casting process on September 6. While we cannot speak to the communications between talent and representation, Victoria’s Secret values and respects all talent partners – past, present and future.' 

Strijd then responded on an Instagram post about the ordeal shared by the blog Basically Hollywood, disputing the rep's timeline of events.

'Then how come I went to the casting september 10th?' she wrote with a mind blown emoji. 

Strijd previously walked in the show from 2014 to 2018.

She said in her TikTok, 'Either way, it’s a closed chapter and it’s probably gonna be a good show.

'I don’t think I’m gonna cast anymore in the future ’cause I don’t like the way it went. I don’t like how the whole process went. I don’t like the way I was treated, and I would love to keep the positive memories, obviously.'

The blonde beauty said that she had been training for the potential gig throughout the summer 'because I had to put a bit more energy in it since I've got two kids and you know how it goes – your body needs a little bit more working out than before.'

She shares two daughters with husband Laurens van Leeuwen.

Strijd added: 'The show is on Sunday and they haven't canceled, they haven't confirmed and I think it's gonna be a no. But I also keep training and continue training cause you never know, like in fashion and in modeling, it's all very last minute.

'I would love to, I've done everything I could. I went to the casting, I trained, and now it's out of my hands.'

In a second video a couple of hours later, Romee revealed she had found out that it was definitely a no.

The Victoria's Secret show returned to Los Angeles for the first time in 19 years on Sunday, and featured some of the brand's biggest names, including supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, 31 and 30 respectively; VS veteran Adriana Lima, 45; Swedish beauty Elsa Hosk, 37; and new mom Barbara Palvin, 33.

South African model Candice Swanepoel, 38, was also among the bombshells, along with Alessandra Ambrosio, 45; Leonardo DiCaprio's long-time girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, 28; Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 39; Russian superstar Irina Shayk, 40; and plus-size beauty Ashley Graham, 38.

The iconic event featured musical performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Megan Moroney and Tate McRae.

A major moment was the reveal and runway debut of Victoria's Secret's newest Angel, Solange Omon, who was recently discovered through the brand's YouTube streaming series Angels Among Us.

The show marked its third year back following a six-year hiatus that threatened the future of the iconic lingerie brand.

It first kicked off in 1995 and attracted immense buzz, with some of the biggest models on the globe walking in the fashion show.

By 2001, it was being broadcast live on television, and each year, millions tuned in to watch the stunning models strut their stuff and the A-list performers dazzle on stage.

But in 2019, after more than two decades of it reigning supreme, the annual show was canceled after criticism over the brand's lack of diversity when it comes to body types, before then-chief marketing officer Ed Razek's eyebrow-raising comments about trans and plus-sized models.