Kate Upton was told she was "too American" to be a model.

The curvy beauty - who is now one of the most recognizable pin-ups in the world - was outraged when she was initially rejected from a major agency who assumed she would be too ''lazy'' because of her nationality.

"I'm not going to name names, but one agency told me, 'You're too American, and everybody knows American women are lazy.' I was so offended! I've never been so offended! I was like, 'You know that you're in America, right?' And it wasn't 'American models - it was 'American women are lazy,' period! I feel like a lot of women would disagree with that. A lot!" she revealed.

Kate, 21, headed straight to International Management Group - which is home to supermodels Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen and Karlie Kloss - after the shocking rejection, and was signed on the spot.

"I walked in and they said, 'You're so American, which is great. You're exactly what we're looking for!' A totally different response, and I was like, 'That's who I'm signing with,'" she enthused.

Like many of her fellow models, the wholesome-looking blonde has embraced the power of Twitter to engage with fans - but top clients have been less impressed with her love of the social media site. "Negative comments come all the time, but they've numbed me out. I don't even notice it anymore. I enjoy Twitter. I have periods where I'm always tweeting, and then I'm dry for a while. Clients have caught on, and they're like, 'Do not tweet anything on this set!' and I'm like, 'Aaaaaaagh!'" she said.

(FYI - You can also follow Chic Dish on Twitter.)