Kate Upton Turns 22; Pre-Birthday Celebration With BF and Gal Pals; Sports Illustrated’s Compilation of Upton’s Sexy Outtakes

Actress and model Kate Upton poses for photographers as she arrives for the UK Gala screening of The Other Woman in London April 2, 2014. REUTERS

Birthday girl Kate Upton who turned 22 on June 10 reportedly had a pre-birthday celebration with Detroit Tigers' pitcher boyfriend Justin Verlander and a few of her gal pals on separate occasions.

According to E! Online, Upton dined with Verlander at Tavern on Rush, a contemporary steakhouse and restaurant in Chicago. An onlooker who saw that duo having lunch at the restaurant said that Upton and Verlander "seemed very happy."

In addition to Upton's lunch date with Verlander, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model also had a little night-out with five of her gal pals at Three Dots and a Dash, a tiki bar also situated in Chicago. "She looked stunning in a red dress," revealed the source. "They toasted champagne at midnight."

Meanwhile, in honour of Upton's 22^nd birthday, Sports Illustrated compiled a number of the blonde bombshell's stimulating and thought-provoking outtakes from her sexy swimsuit photo shoots.

Upton made her debut in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2011. It was the very same year when she" was named "Rookie of the Year" too. The following year, Upton appeared on her first-ever cover for the said men's journal. In 2013, Upton was featured on the cover for the second consecutive year. This year, 2014, she was featured on the flip side cover of the magazine's 50^th anniversary issue. It was the first time that Sports Illustrated has incorporated that type of cover.

Upton currently ranks second behind Adriana Lima, beating the likes of Gisele Bundchen, Candice Swanepoel, and Miranda Kerr among others, in the List of Sexiest Models rated by Models.com. She ranks 16 in the Top 50 Models list of the same modeling agency.

Upton has had quite a year. Aside from her major modeling endorsements, she has jumped from the fashon industry to Hollywood and tried her hand at acting. Recently, Upton starred in the movie "The Other Woman," with Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann. Upton is just one of the few models who not only fits in the runway but also in the show biz industry.