Kathy Ireland has worked in the modeling industry for over four decades, and in light of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, she is opening up about the time she got physical with a photographer who "crossed the line" at a photoshoot.

"When I was 17, I punched a photographer before walking off the set," Ireland exclusively tells Harper's BAZAAR at the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women event in New York Thursday. "I’m not a violent person, but somebody crosses that boundary with you, the rules of politeness go out the window. He crossed the line with me."

The 54-year-old supermodel-turned-mogul, best known for appearing on 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, says the unnamed photographer tried to force her to wear an outfit she did not want to wear.

"He was trying to get me to wear something that I wasn’t comfortable wearing," she explains. "I said, 'No, no thank you.' Then I said no [again]. And he was insistent, and he got in my personal space and got too close."

Kathy Ireland walks the runway in a Marc Bower gown during the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women Red Dress Collection 2018.

Ireland says the incident occurred in France, and did not reveal whether the photographer is currently still working the industry. At the time, the underage model immediately told people involved in the shoot what had occurred, but according to Ireland, they did nothing.

"I reported him and the question was ‘Well, what do you want us to do about it?'" she tells BAZAAR. "I said, ‘Get him away from all the other girls. I don’t want another girl to be hurt by him. I got away, but someone else might not be so fortunate.'"

"I don’t think [those people] cared, honestly," she adds. "They heard me. I believe they believed me, but I don’t think they really cared." Ireland says the modeling industry's job description back then was "shut up and pose." "I reject that today," she says. "We’ve got to speak out and make sure that our voices are heard."

The mother of three, who is an advocate against child slavery and human trafficking, wants victims to continue to speak out.

"It’s heartbreaking to know that there are so many women and men who have been abused and their voices have not been heard," she says. "No job is that important. I encourage people to come forward and speak out."

When asked about Kate Upton's recent accusations against Guess co-founder Paul Marciano, Ireland says, "I love Kate Upton and my heart goes out to her."

I’m Eileen, the digital news reporter at Hearst Digital Media. As a member of the newsroom, I report on a wide range of news, including entertainment, politics and lifestyle. I also cover red carpet events for over 20 of Hearst's magazine brands. I previously held positions at CNN, Facebook and MTV, where I worked as a digital producer, writer and on-camera host. Fun facts: I'm fluent in Spanish, a BU alum, and love fashion and travel.