About
Brooks Claire Nader is an American fashion model best known for her ongoing run in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Born on February 7, 1997, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she jumped from newcomer to cover star in only four years—snagging the 2019 “Swim Search” title, appearing in every issue since 2020, and sharing the coveted 2023 cover with Kim Petras, Megan Fox, and Martha Stewart. In the freshly released 2025 edition, the 29-year-old posed on pink-sand beaches in Bermuda, her seventh consecutive appearance.
Away from the camera, Nader’s résumé keeps growing. She guest-starred in the crime film Backtrace (2018), waltzed onto Dancing with the Stars in 2024, and is now executive-producing a Hulu/Freeform docuseries, Love Thy Nader, that follows her and her sisters through New York’s fashion whirl.
Before Fame
Nader is the oldest of four girls born to Breaux Gardner Nader, a financial adviser, and Holland Pryor Greene. She grew up in a close-knit household where sports ruled—her grandfather Sam Nader worked with LSU football—yet fashion magazines piled up on the coffee table. After graduating from Episcopal School of Baton Rouge in 2015, she enrolled at Tulane University with thoughts of a finance career but soon realized she felt most alive in front of a lens. A scouting trip to New York brought agency offers, so she pressed pause on college and headed north with a single suitcase and a stack of Polaroids.
Her big break arrived in 2019 when Sports Illustrated opened its annual casting to social media hopefuls. Nader beat roughly 10,000 applicants, earning a spot in the 2020 issue and a plane ticket to shoot in Bali. That victory not only launched her SI streak but also helped her sign worldwide contracts and book campaigns for brands ranging from Guess to Skims.
Trivia
- Swim Search trailblazer: She is only the second open-casting alum (after Camille Kostek) to grace an SI cover.
- Reality-TV rookie: Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars paired her with pro Gleb Savchenko; they exited in week 4 but scored a fan-favorite tango along the way.
- From bikini to business: Nader launched a jewelry capsule with Electric Picks and recently teased Home by BN, a décor line inspired by the art-deco details in her Manhattan apartment.
- Safety advocate: After an AirTag-stalking incident in 2022, she turned the frightening experience into a public-safety campaign, urging followers to double-check personal belongings. (She now keeps a Bluetooth scanner in her purse.)
- Film cameo: Her acting debut as Orderly Lisa in Backtrace put her on-screen alongside Sylvester Stallone and Matthew Modine—she shot her scene during a day off from model castings.
Family Life
The Nader sisters—Brooks, Mary Holland, Grace Ann, and Sarah Jane—share an apartment building in SoHo and often swap clothes before red-carpet events. While Brooks blazed the fashion trail, Mary Holland pivoted to finance, and Grace Ann and Sarah Jane juggle modeling with college courses. Family group chats include outfit polls, Cajun recipes from home, and enthusiastic updates from their parents, who still live in Baton Rouge but fly to New York for milestone moments.
Brooks married advertising executive Billy Haire in December 2019. Though the couple separated in 2022, they remain friendly, and she has since been linked to a Greek prince. She jokes that holiday gatherings are “50 percent crawfish boil, 50 percent runway rehearsal,” a balance she credits for keeping her grounded in an industry where stability is rare.
Associated With
- Sports Illustrated circle: Sharing covers and shoots has connected Nader with industry icons like Kim Petras, Megan Fox, Martha Stewart, and fellow SI veterans Kate Upton and Chrissy Teigen. She often credits their advice—“just have fun and breathe”—for calming pre-shoot jitters.
- Fashion friends: Miami Swim Week regularly places her on runways with Jasmine Sanders, Lorena Duran, and Olivia Culpo, sparking friendships that extend to beach workouts and group FaceTimes.
- Television ties: During Dancing with the Stars, she bonded with teammate Livvy Dunne—another Louisiana native—over gumbo cravings and LSU football chat. Livvy later cameoed in a TikTok dance filmed on set.
- Family docuseries team: Love Thy Nader is produced by Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and showrunner Rachel Tung; Brooks serves as both star and executive producer alongside her sisters.
