How Kate Upton’s Cat Daddy Dance Video Made Her Famous

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In January 2017, Cat Daddy dancer Kate Upton joined fellow models Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski at Harper’s Bazaar’s Celebration of the 150 Most Fashionable Women held at Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood.

Kate Upton shows how to wear a sheer-sleeved tuxedo shirt with a lace-hemmed black satin pencil skirt (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)

5 years earlier, a viral video of Upton performing the Cat Daddy dance to the song of the same name by The Rej3ctz helped make her famous.

Uploaded without her permission by fashion photographer Terry Richardson, the video shows Upton doing the Cat Daddy in a microscopic string bikini. While it was not meant to be seen, the video launched her into the spotlight.

“Upton was horrified because the behind-the-scenes video had been filmed for fun, not something she expected would make the final cut,” Alexa Chung wrote in British Vogue.

“That was disrespectful, you could have told me!” Kate reportedly told Richardson after the video’s release. They have since reconciled and appear to be friends.

Terry Richardson uploaded a video of model Kate Upton performing the Cat Daddy dance (Credit: Terry Richardson)

One year earlier, in April 2011, a video of Upton doing the Dougie hip-hop dance at a Los Angeles Clippers game helped land her the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover.

“We all know that social media now creates its own reality,” publisher Wayne Sterling told the New York Times.

“If you become a YouTube star among teenagers, you have even more recognizability than a TV star. Kate Upton is the perfect example of that.”

The Cat Daddy dance video was shot during a break while the then 19-year-old Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl was shooting pictures with Terry Richardson.

As a swimsuit model, Kate Upton definitely has an enviable figure. So, we were shocked by her poor form at this fashion event.

Kate Upton wears a sheer-sleeved tuxedo shirt sloppily unbuttoned at the collar (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)

The then 24-year-old American model and actress chose to wear a sheer-sleeved tuxedo shirt sloppily unbuttoned at the collar.

Then, she tucked it into a lace-hemmed black satin pencil skirt that was not only too tight but also showed every lump and bump of her tucked-in shirt.

Kate’s one saving grace was her choice of footwear. Though the iridescent gold pointy-toe pumps didn’t coordinate with anything in Kate’s ensemble, they complemented Kate’s slim long legs splendidly.

Kate Upton at the Harper’s Bazaar celebration of the 150 Most Fashionable Women presented by TUMI in partnership with American Express, La Perla, and Hearts On Fire at Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California, on January 27, 2017 (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)

How do you like Kate’s outfit at Harper’s Bazaar’s Most Fashionable Women event?

We don’t have an exact ID on Kate’s shoes yet, but their shape and heels are very similar to the Stuart Weitzman “Heist” pumps.

Kate Upton shows off her feet in pointy-toe pumps with an iridescent gold sheen (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)

These pumps are favorites of Kate Middleton, who has worn them numerous times. Check out different colors of the “Heist” pumps — many of which are on sale at Amazon, Nordstrom, and Zappos.

Stuart Weitzman “Heist” pumps in Black Goosebump Nappa, 365

Stuart Weitzman “Heist” pumps in Adobe Aniline, $365

Stuart Weitzman “Heist” pumps in Smoke Sunflower Patent, $365

Stuart Weitzman “Heist” pumps in Suede Bordeaux, $375