With a fan base in the tens of millions, the social media superstar, jet setting lifestyle blogger, YouTuber, biomedical science graduate and arguably one of Australia’s hottest models, now adds MAXIM cover girl to her illustrious list. You’re welcome…
Hello, Gabby, congrats on your first MAXIM Australia cover. How do you feel?
I feel very honoured. Honestly, if 14-year-old Gabby with braces, a gapped tooth and just no sense of style could see me now – she wouldn’t believe it.
It’s a cool photo shoot. What did you love most about it?
It was so much fun. I mean, we’re in one of the most beautiful places in the world – Koh Samui, Thailand – and I feel so lucky to be here. I love the weather, the team is amazing and I got to hang out all day in lingerie and in the sun.
You’ve done millions of photo shoots – what goes through your mind whilst shooting in lingerie or swimwear?
To be very honest, I just think about the burger and fries I’m going to eat later.
Well, you look stunning. Do you feel confident every time you’re in front of a camera?
No, not at all – I’m so unnaturally uncomfortable in front of the camera. It doesn’t come easily or naturally to me at all. I mean, I’m very grateful that this is the path my life has taken but it wasn’t what I had in mind and wasn’t what I had planned. I just feel incredibly lucky to be in this position.
How did you actually end up down this career path?
I was studying biomedical science at university with a major in neurology – yes, a VERY different pathway – while working at Woolies as a checkout chick as well as at Baskin Robbins, and I got offered a couple of E-comm photo shoots. I worked out that I’d make way more money doing a day’s work of modelling than working at a checkout or in an ice cream store. And this was my whole reasoning for starting my social media career and it just grew from there.
What was your previous career plan looking like?
I’m a big science nerd – hence studying biomedical science – and I wanted to do something either in the medical or science fields, maybe even become a vet, after I’d done my bachelor’s degree. Of course, this never happened and then social media kind of exploded back in 2013-14 and my life just ended up taking a completely different path.
You were also once a competitive swimmer. Tell us more about this.
Well, I peaked at like 16 or 17 so it’s not really something to be proud of, but my whole family is very involved in sport and swimming – my mum and uncle were national swimmers, my grandad helped coach Olympians, my dad’s brother is a three-time Paralympic weightlifting champion. So, yeah, I come from a very competitive family and that’s definitely translated over to everything else in my life. But I tore my rotator cuff in my senior year of high school and it shattered my dreams of one day competing at the Olympics. So my life has taken a couple of different paths from what I thought it was ever going to take.
That must have been very challenging for you at the time.
It was. I mean, I think everything happens for a reason and it was a blessing in disguise. I know a lot of girls in the Australian swim team and they’re the toughest athletes I know. So, I don’t think I want to do what it takes to be at that level, but I’m definitely grateful for all the lessons that it taught me.
What do you feel is your best asset?
My best personality trait is that I have pretty thick skin. I’m not very sensitive and I’m definitely good at laughing at myself, which is what you need in social media because everyone else will laugh at you. So, if you can laugh at yourself it definitely helps. I don’t know about my best physical asset but I wish it could be my feet because I’ve heard people pay a lot for those puppies on the Internet [laughs]. I mean, unfortunately I don’t have the kind of feet people pay for but what I’ve heard girls make from feet photos – man, I wish that could be me.
Talking about feet – tell us about these gecko toes and long fingers of yours that you talk about on your social media.
Yeah, I just have really long fingers – I make men feel very inadequate [laughs]. And these gecko toes… for whatever reason, if I’m in front of the camera my toes just separate – it’s weird!
What else would people be surprised to know about you?
I’m a very awkward person by nature. I’m a huge nerd. I never go out and really spend Saturday nights watching dinosaur documentaries. I’m a very boring person. Truly! I feel like maybe what people see on social media, and I know it’s not the case for everyone, but obviously people know by now it’s like a highlight reel. I’m definitely not like that in real life. I look like a mess most of the time. I’m usually just like in sweats, no make-up and I can kind of pull it together for a photo once every few weeks. I think if people meet me in real life, they’re usually pretty surprised how opposite I am.
You’ve been living in Los Angeles, California USA for the last few years…
Yes. I was living back and forth between Australia and L.A. for a few years and then obviously the pandemic happened and I kind of got stuck in America. Now my whole life is in L.A. – my dog, my friends, my work… and I just ended up living there full-time, kind of by default.
Besides friends and family, what do you miss most about Australia?
The people, for sure. It’s just a completely different atmosphere – Australia has a real sense of community that is really hard to replicate anywhere else. I feel whenever you see Australians overseas you have like an instant connection – it’s important to them. I’m probably a little biased, but they’re just unlike any other people in the rest of the world. Obviously, also the Aussie beaches are beautiful and I’m really sorry if I offend anyone from California, but your beaches have nothing on Australian beaches. There’s nothing like home and all my friends I bring out to Australia agree it’s a lot better than they could ever possibly imagine.
What is the best thing about being a model and influencer?
Just the sense of freedom it gives me, which I’ve really just become so incredibly grateful for. I’m able to work from wherever I want to in the world, I’m able to travel and make money wherever, I’m able to go see my family in Australia for a month and work at the same time. I just feel incredibly lucky to be in this position.
You’ve a huge fan base – over three million followers on Instagram alone. How do you keep them coming back for more?
I don’t know why they follow me, to be honest, I’m really such a boring person! [laughs] I’ve been trying to figure it out for years. I mean, I feel like it’s the bikini photos maybe? I don’t know. Growing up in Australia on the Gold Coast, I was just in a bikini every day – kind of by default – it wasn’t something that I tried to grow. Anyone who grows up on the Gold Coast knows that you are in a bikini for nine months of the year. So, that’s kind of how it started and I’ve been really fortunate through work to be able to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world – and I think people like to see and follow this. Before social media people didn’t know about these places but now they see people travel to places they’ve never thought of before.
Tell us about being on OnlyFans.
I love it. I’ve been modelling and on social media for years now and the power was all with the brands I was working with. OnlyFans has given me complete freedom of the kind of things I want to post, the content I want to make and it’s really put all the power back into the creator’s hands. It’s a really incredible platform, especially for women.
What content can someone expect to see when they subscribe to your OnlyFans?
You’re just going to have to go there and find out [smiles].
What’s the most popular request you get from your followers?
I post a lot more of my everyday life on my OnlyFans. It’s a very raw version of me that I don’t really like posting to my other social media accounts. It’s the most vulnerable side of me.
Is there anything you would never do in front of the camera?
Never say never.
What do you say to the haters and critics who think your social media feed is too raunchy or racy?
My mum would agree with you [laughs]. I feel like if you don’t like something, just move on. It’s the Internet – I find a million things I don’t like every day, so just keep moving on people.
You’ve made many headlines over the years – what’s the most surprising thing you’ve read about yourself in the press?
Oh, God, there’s so many! They’re all really surprising – like articles about the type of bikini or dress I wear… Yeah, I mean there’s so many more interesting things in the world to talk about.
Describe your ideal man.
Oh, easy – my crush, like forever, has been Phil Dunphy from Modern Family. Without question. I mean, I have a different favourite fictional characters, but in terms of an ideal man – he is it. So, men, if you haven’t watched Modern Family, watch it and… step the f—k up. After all, the way to a woman’s heart is to make her laugh.
Where could a man take you on a date?
Hmm, I’m not really sure. I’m the kind of person on a date who lays out all the red flags so you know exactly what you’re getting into and there’s no miscommunication later. Definitely don’t take me to do something competitive. The last first date I went on was bowling and it didn’t end well.
What’s one thing men should always remember about women?
How much time do you have? I think how much women appreciate the little things. Men think romance always has to be huge, grand gestures and it’s just too unattainable for them to do. Romance is like remembering my coffee order or, if I’ve had like a big night out, making me a Berocca or a toasted cheese sandwich when I’m hungover. It’s all the little things that are the most important.
What’s next for you?
I’m really excited to spend more time in Australia with family and friends – it will forever be my home. I spent a month in Australia at the beginning of the year and hopefully I’ll be moving back permanently by the end of this year.
STATUS UPDATE
FULL NAME: Gabrielle Grace Epstein
BORN: February 19
HOME TOWN: Gold Coast, Qld
LIVES: Los Angeles, California USA
LIFE MOTTO: “’If I don’t have some cake soon, I might die.’ – Stanley Hudson.”
TWITTER: @GabbyEpstein1
TIKTOK: @gabbyepstein99
SNAPCHAT/ONLYFANS/INSTAGRAM: @gabbyepstein
WEBSITE: snipfeed.co/gabbyepstein
Photographed by ROCKY BATCHELOR
Interview & styling by PARIS RAINE
Hair and make-up by POLINA PAK
For the full article grab the June 2023 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
