Celebrity News May 12, 2026
Alix Earle, Tiffany Haddish & Nicole Williams English React to SI Swimsuit Covers (Exclusive)
Alix Earle, Tiffany Haddish and Nicole Williams English are cover models for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2026 issue!
“Extra” special correspondent Camille Kostek spoke with the ladies, who reacted to the major "pinch-me moment."
Alix shared, “I’ve been shaking all day, I haven’t stopped… [Tiffany] was watching me freak out and I was like ‘Oh, gosh, she probably thinks I’m so annoying because I was screaming my head off.’”
Tiffany quipped, “You missed when I found out. I’m like, ‘What?’ When I saw the picture for the first time, I’m just so honored… I put in a lot of hard work. I transformed my body, did all these things. I’m honoring my grandmother, my ancestors, and my dedication."
James Macari/Sports Illustrated
It is Nicole’s fourth year shooting the annual issue.
She stressed, ‘I’ve been literally fighting tooth and nail to get here for over 20 years. I’m really, really excited. I came a long way from my firs shoot. I was eight months pregnant, and now I’m on the cover.”
Tiffany manifested this dream, saying, “I feel like I have superpowers and if I speak on it, that’s what’s going to be.”
Alix revealed that her mom was first person she told, joking that her mom “has the biggest mouth ever”!
She noted, “I was like, ‘Mom, if this goes down, it’s your fault,’ so she kept quiet.”
Afanador/Sports Illustrated
Tiffany told her sister and “this guy I always had a crush on for since 1994. I told him, just to rub it in his face.”
Haddish added, "I also told Leonardo DiCaprio, too, but I think he thought it was a joke.”
Nicole found out about her cover while her family was in town so she “didn’t really have anybody left to tell.”
Nicole showed love for hubby, former NFL player Larry English, and how he pushes her to pursue her dreams.
She gushed, “He’s so supportive and so amazing… I’ve been cheering him on throughout his whole career and he’s like, 'Now, this is your moment, babe.’ He’s so proud of me. He’s watched me go through it all, thinking it was all over when I hit a certain age and got pregnant. He’s the one that kept pushing me.”
English: Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated
Larry encouraged Nicole to write down her dream of wanting to be in Sports Illustrated and “two weeks later, [she] got the call.”
For more, visit SportsIllustrated.com! The issue is on select newsstands beginning May 14 and nationally on May 26.