Cara Delevingne is adding another milestone to her career.
The 33-year-old actor, model, and musician appears on the cover of Playboy‘s Summer 2026 issue, becoming the first openly lesbian woman to grace the magazine’s print cover.
Photographed by Zoey Grossman, Delevingne poses in a black latex corset by Atsuko Kudo while embracing a bold, stripped-back aesthetic that she says reflects where she is in her life today.
Reclaiming a Traditionally Straight Space
Speaking with author Ottessa Moshfegh for the issue, Delevingne explained why saying yes to Playboy felt meaningful despite the publication’s history.
“Of course, Playboy is very much a heterosexual institution,” she said. “That’s why it felt like a bit of a f–k-you and a rebellious thing to do, and to have an incredible female-led creative team, a lot of them being queer, felt really fun and different.”
For the shoot, Delevingne worked with a predominantly female creative team, something she said allowed her to feel more ownership over how she was portrayed.
Feeling More Comfortable Than Ever
Delevingne also reflected on how differently she approaches nude photography today compared to earlier in her career.
“I’ve been naked before in shoots, in movies,” she said. “But it always made me feel a bit gross when it was for someone else. Of course, it was my choice and I agreed to it, but it never felt empowering.”
This time, she said, the experience felt completely different.
“I’ve never felt more comfortable in my body and in my sexuality. I feel like I’m in more of my prime as a woman and as a sexual being.”
Delevingne’s historic Playboy cover arrives as she enters one of the most transformative periods of her career and personal life.
Beyond celebrating the milestone, the conversation explores how her perspective has evolved in recent years, from finding greater confidence in who she is to building a life that feels more authentic than ever before.
Part of that journey has been her relationship with British singer-songwriter Minke, whom Delevingne describes as her closest companion.
“We’re best friends, obviously, lovers, and everything else, but I’ve never had a relationship like it and felt so close to someone and felt so seen,” she said.
The cover also comes just months after Delevingne publicly said she now identifies as a lesbian. While she has long been open about dating women, she recently shared that the label feels like the most accurate reflection of who she is today.
“People love to comment on stuff like that of like, ‘She’s not gay, she’s pan’ or ‘she had a boyfriend,’” she previously told Variety. “But at this point in my life, I’m very happy to say I’m a lesbian.”
Away from modeling and acting, Delevingne is also preparing to release her debut album after launching her music career with the singles “I Forgot” and “Out of My Head” following her signing with Warner Records.