The 15 Hottest Celebrity Maxim Spreads

Created in the late ’90s, Maxim magazine was first introduced for a core male audience. Highlighting featured pictorials of everyone from up and coming models to the hottest starlets in Hollywood, Maxim prides itself in creating provocative spreads that celebrate the female body.

Since the rise of the Internet, female nudity isn’t exactly as shocking or difficult to access as it once was. Even Playboy magazine announced in 2015 that it would no longer feature completely nude women in their print edition. Stating that the magazine’s mission to normalize the female body was accomplished, many believe the true reason was the decline in magazine sales and the importance of focusing efforts elsewhere to increase profit.

While Playboy might come with a particularly negative association, Maxim is thought of as ultra chic with stellar photography that enhances the look of its models. More than one Hollywood starlet has decided to pose for a pictorial in Maxim, with each having its own style and signature look. And just as Sports Illustrated has its infamous swimsuit covers, Maxim has become famous for its ability to get A-list stars for the cover as well as the inside spreads. Everyone from the hottest movie stars to the best in the music industry have adorned the pages of Maxim, and have chosen their pictorial to show a sexier side that fans may not have seen before. Check out our list of 15 of the sexiest celebrity Maxim spreads, and see how these starlets have maintained their sexy status through their provocative pictorials.

15. Brittany Snow

Brittany Snow is an actress that has roots in soap opera, but has since proved her acting skills through a number of roles on both the small and big screen. Films like the Pitch Perfect series and Hairspray have helped to show fans various different looks, from dark ebony hair to a full-on blonde. In April 2011, Snow posed for a pictorial with Maxim magazine, donning tousled blonde locks and sheer blue lingerie that matched her eyes. With a plain white background, she didn’t need any extra props to make it stand out as one of Maxim’s sexiest celebrity spreads.

14. Kaley Cuoco

On the hit television series, The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco has made the most out of the success of the show. Landing a contract for $1 million an episode in 2014, fans have become completely attached to her Penny character on the show. In 2012, Cuoco showed fans a much sexier look than she is allowed on the series. While Penny has always been known for her amazing physique, Cuoco’s July 2012 Maxim spread proved sexy comes in all forms. Although she’s mildly covered up compared to other Maxim pictorials, Cuoco shows how her sexiness can be the star of the show.

13. Kate Stoltzfus

Offering a revealing eye-opening look into life in the Amish world, Breaking Amish followed the lives of a group of young people going through Rumspringa, the time a 16-year-old in the Amish community is allowed to experience the outside world to see whether or not they want to continue the Amish way of life. One of the characters that captured the attention of the public was Kate Stoltzfus. She was quickly nabbed by a modeling agency, and landed some pretty lucrative deals, including a pictorial spread in Maxim in 2013. From the porcelain skin to the sparkling blue eyes, there’s something extremely appealing about her unique Amish past and the unknown of her exciting future.

12. Keke Palmer

There aren’t many people in Hollywood that are able to act, sing, perform, and host the way Keke Palmer has continually proven to do at such a young age. With a successful career in the music industry and a string of hit films under her belt, she even made history in 2014 when she became the youngest person to ever have her own talk show at the tender age of just 20 years old. Proving she was growing into a very beautiful young woman, her Maxim pictorial showed a hot and steamy side to Keke that no one expected. From the swimsuit shot baring a glimpse of a tattoo to a plain white t-shirt with socks, she exuded surprising sex appeal.

11. Kelly Hu

While most Asian actresses in Hollywood tend to get typecast one way or another, Kelly Hu started off her career in pageantry, which may have given her a bit of an edge. Winning Miss Teen USA in 1985 and going on to become Miss Hawaii USA in 1993, she had a beautiful look that Hollywood just couldn’t ignore. Having success in both television and film, she is probably most recognized for her character portrayal in the X-Men film series and The Vampire Diaries. Her pictorial spread for Maxim featured a more natural look, including a shot where she posed topless with just her long dark hair providing coverage.

10. Avril Lavigne

Long before Katy Perry came out with the electric blue wigs and Lady Gaga trolled the red carpet in a meat dress, Avril Lavigne was the girl making all the headlines with her out-of-the-box look. Donning pink highlights and a punk rock attitude, Lavigne chose a black ensemble that borders on sexy lingerie and chic dominatrix. Baring her midriff and with her patented smoky eyes, Lavigne showed that the darker side to the girl-next-door is a lot sexier than you might think. Whether it’s her rebellious spirit that exudes off the page or the haunting look that gives a hint of a “bad girl,” Lavigne made a definite mark on fans through this sexy spread.

9. Jennifer Love Hewitt

While fans knew Jennifer Love Hewitt for her roles on such films as I Know What You Did Last Summer and the television series Party of Five, her persona seemed to be almost sickeningly sweet. Whether it was an attempt to get away from constantly getting typecast or she was ready to branch out in a more sexual way, 2012 was a big year for Hewitt. Starring in The Client List, Hewitt played the role of a highly-paid prostitute that was reminiscent of the Heidi Fleiss story. That was the year she also posed for a Maxim pictorial. While all of the photos looked great, it was the black lingerie shot with an open trench coat that showed a super seductive Hewitt for the first time.

8. Christina Milian

Introduced to audiences in the late ’90s through her signature soft hip-hop sound, her most memorable songs involved collaborations with Ja Rule. Yet, she seems to have taken a bit of a break from her music career since her 2000 hit, “Between Me & You.” In the meantime, she has become a celebrity making headlines for controversies in her personal life, with an occasional bikini shot on the beach. In 2009, she posed for a provocative spread in Maxim featuring various stages of undress. Stockings, lingerie, and sheer tops; Milian was seemingly trying to prove that she hadn’t lost any of her sex appeal.

7. Olivia Wilde

Although Olivia Wilde was first introduced to audiences through television, she has since become one of Hollywood’s favorite starlets. Starring in a number of hit films, she recently returned to TV in Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl. In 2009, she was in a pictorial for Maxim, in a photo shoot that really showed off her porcelain skin. Completely topless and covered with just a few wisps of hair or a strategically placed curtain, Wilde was flawless with an ultra feminine look that was more natural than some of her other photo shoots. Oftentimes, magazines tend to show off her chiseled jawline and cheekbones, but Maxim chose to keep things more natural and highlight her sparkling eyes and girlish figure.

6. Eva Longoria

When Eva Longoria was first introduced to audiences, she was instantly pegged the super rich and sexy housewife that had a few steamy love scenes with her young landscaper. With a character like that, it’s no surprise that she might have difficulty living up to the sultry look of Gabrielle Solis. When fans see her Gabrielle character always rolling around in the sheets with Jesse Metcalfe, it’s only natural that her Maxim spread would want to up the ante in sex appeal. Her 2008 pictorial was filled with one sexy shot after the other, from a sprawled out position in black lingerie to an open trench coat all in white to everything in between.

5. Dania Ramirez

Dania Ramirez has starred in a number of character roles that flaunted her body, whether it was the steamy love scene with AJ on The Sopranos or the various stages of undress on Entourage. So, when she was picked to have a pictorial in Maxim, no one seemed surprised that she would have a super sexy spread. Yet, once it was revealed, fans got to see just how sexy she could make a bikini look. If you don’t believe us then you need to take a look at her pictures again.

4. Eva Mendes

Long before Eva Mendes welcomed her second child with Ryan Gosling, she was one of the hottest starlets in Hollywood known for having a phenomenal body. Mendes starred alongside Denzel Washington in an infamous nude scene for Training Day, so audiences knew she was an actress unafraid to flaunt her assets. Yet, it was her 2008 pictorial for Maxim that really showed off the signature sexy look that is reminiscent of Old Hollywood. Often compared to iconic beauties like Sophia Loren, the pictorial highlighted her perfectly toned abs with a sexy lingerie set. With a flirtatious look and various stages of undress, Mendes definitely did the right thing by taking a snapshot in time pre-babies.

3. Jessica Alba

While Jessica Alba has never been apologetic about flaunting her assets in film, people tend to forget what a smokin’ body she has ever since she branched off into the baby care company, Honest. Her spread for Maxim magazine proved that even as a mother of two, she still had the same physique that people remember from Honey. With a wet and wild look, Alba proved it wasn’t just nature’s beauty that can stun on the beach. Stating, “I’m really comfortable in my own skin, and I’m not apologizing for myself,” Alba redefined what motherhood is supposed to look like, while leaving just enough to the imagination.

2. Rihanna

Rihanna is an artist that doesn’t seem to care about what other people think when it comes to her photo choices. Uploading one controversial pic after another on social media, she isn’t the type to be squeamish during a sexy magazine photo shoot. So, when Maxim was constructing their Maxim Hot 100 in 2010, it came as no surprise that Rihanna made the list. Nabbing the number six spot, one part of her pictorial spread featured a tan corset bottom with her arms crossed over to cover her breasts. While the body shot was enough to steam up some glasses, it was the devilish horns that really made the picture shine. There’s something truly appealing about a bad girl!

1. Kate Upton

Kate Upton may have been introduced to audiences through her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, but she quickly gained the attention through more than just a swimsuit cover. From dancing the “Dougie” on the Internet to being romantically linked to heavy hitters in the sports world, Upton has reached a level of fame that has surpassed many other aspiring models. Starring alongside Cameron Diaz in The Other Woman, Upton was even named the Sexiest Woman Alive by People magazine in 2014. While Upton donned the pages of countless magazine spreads, it’s her sweet and simple Maxim pictorial that shows just how sexy she can look in a white bikini.