Shanina Shaik Shares Honest Thoughts on Balancing Motherhood and Modeling
DUBAI — Nearly two decades into her modeling career, Shanina Shaik shared that her most defining moment was not a runway show or magazine cover, but the day she declined a job opportunity for the sake of her son.
The Australia-born model of Saudi Arabian, Pakistani, and Lithuanian descent posted on Instagram this week, revealing she turned down a campaign that most people in her position would have accepted.
“19 years in this industry. This is the decision that still sits with me,” she wrote. “There was a moment I turned something down that I knew most people wouldn’t in my position, but being home to raise my son and spend time with him matters more than any campaign ever could.”
Shaik added, “I don’t regret it. If anything, it’s the choice I’m proudest of.”
She did not name the campaign she declined. The model shares her son, Zai Adesuyan Matthew, with her partner Matthew Adesuyan. Their first child was born in Los Angeles in September 2022, and Shaik has since described motherhood as a transformative experience.
A former Victoria’s Secret model, Shaik continues to front high-profile work. She appeared for Victoria Beckham Beauty during Paris Fashion Week in 2025, modeled for Net-A-Porter in early 2026, and fronted her first Mother’s Day campaign in 2024 for Witchery alongside her son. “This industry doesn’t always leave room for that kind of choice,” she wrote. “So I’m learning to make my own room, in my own time.”
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