Singer and actress Teyana Taylor was dubbed the “Sexiest Woman Alive” by Maxim this weekend, the first Black woman to be so named.
“A graceful choreographer-dancer, actor-director and top ten recording star,” the magazine’s Jordan Riefe declared of her, “she has brains, talent and, well, the photos show the rest.”
Taylor, 30, shared the announcement on Instagram, where she wrote, “Somebody pinch me!!!! Maxim Hot 100 to be named the ‘Sexiest Woman alive’ by literally living in the skin I’m in. WOW.”
“Stepping back in front of the lens has been a journey of self-reflection and self-confidence,” she posted. “Living up to name and title of this shoot wholeheartedly made me nervous.”
“As an entrepreneur, wife, a busy mother of two & worrying behind the lens in my director bag I tend to hide behind my sweats & vintage tees, my ‘Spike Tey’ glasses, and whatever hairstyle I’ve mustered up that day under my @theauntiesinc snap back!” Taylor wrote. “So I as you can see I don’t have much time to be and feel sexy.”
She noted that on the day of the shoot, she was able to “see another side” of herself. She was dressed primarily in the outfit she was photographed in, camouflage pants and a tee, her hair up in braids. She said Gilles Bensimon, the famed photographer who captured the images, told her the look was “pure.” And in each photo, Taylor shows off her chiseled abs.
In her lengthy Instagram caption, she wrote a quote from Audrey Hepburn: “The true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.”
The wife of Brooklyn Nets player Iman Shumpert starred aside him in the short-lived VH-1 reality show, Teyana and Iman. They have two young daughters.
The smoldering photos Taylor shared have since garnered tens of thousands of supportive comments from fans.
Maxim, the men’s magazine founded in the U.K. but based in New York City, is well known for featuring the photography of some of the entertainment industry’s most alluring actresses, singers and models.
Past women celebrated at the top of the Maxim Hot 100 include Eva Longoria, Katy Perry and Jessica Alba.
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