While the news isn’t necessarily a shock due to her absence from the runways and ad campaigns, model Gemma Ward has officially announced via her agency that she is to quit modeling.

“Gemma hasn’t committed to returning to modeling at any time soon,” a spokeswoman said.

The announcement comes after photos of the model/actress having gained a few sizes appeared online, accumulating a mixed slew of supportive and awful comments from readers. Many speculate that her weight gain and departure are due to the death of Heath Ledger, whom she was romantically linked to shortly before that January day.

I find it sad that for Ward, a model who was constantly attacked early in her career for being too skinny, is now under fire for being too heavy! It’s not as if she’s doing any modeling work; even if she did, who cares if someone decides to hire a model of a more average dress size?

She ought to go back to acting, in my opinion. She creeped me out as Dollface in The Strangers and has garnered plenty of positive criticism for her role in The Black Balloon.