Kate Upton is now one of the most famous faces–and bodies–in the world; after landing a Sports Illustrated gig and a racy Hardee’s commercial, she quickly became one of the most sought-after models in the industry. But that doesn’t mean she was always treated well.

Upton says that not only has she been treated like a dumb blonde by people in the business, she had horrible self esteem right after her first SI cover came out.

“I felt terrible about myself for a solid month,” she says in an interview for Elle. “Every single guy I met was either married or about to be married, and I felt like I was their bachelor present or something. I’m not a toy, I’m a human. I’m not here to be used. I am a grown woman, and you need to figure your s–t out.”

She’s also been misunderstood by many she’s worked with in the industry. It’s an unfortunate part of any job that requires someone to be in the spotlight–especially models, who many people think are simply paid to sit still and look pretty–but Upton says she’s smarter than they give her credit for.

“People deal with models like they are children. They think they can pull one over on you,” she said. “It’s actually funny. I’m always like, ‘I’m about to pull something on you, and you’re so focused on thinking I’m dumb you’re not even going to know.’”

As for relationships, Upton has been linked to several celebrities–the most recent being “Dancing With The Stars” alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy–but she says she’s just having fun for now.

“I really have never had a serious relationship in the industry. I’m just having fun,” she said. “Obviously I have a very busy schedule at this time in my life, and I don’t put relationships as a priority.”