As we discussed yesterday, Karlie Kloss just got out of her Victoria’s Secret contract. She will no longer work the runway shows or be one of the many faces of the VS Angel line. It was said that Kloss was leaving to work elsewhere, to study at NYU and perhaps because her rich boyfriend didn’t want her with VS anymore. On the heels of Karlie’s departure, Victoria’s Secret also had to confirm that Doutzen Kroes was leaving the brand too. VS’s creative director Ed Razek posted this message on Instagram:

“After I posted the news about @karliekloss leaving VS I got a number of texts asking me why I hadn’t said anything about @doutzen leaving at the end of last year. Fair question. The simple answer is I should have. Doutzen had a lucrative opportunity in Europe and it would have conflicted with her VS obligations. So, at her agencies request, we released her from contract. There was no conflict. No animosity. None of the nonsense I’ve read on Instagram. She had a great business opportunity, and I wanted to be fair to someone I adore and respect. That’s all. I honestly believe Doutzen is one of the most stunningly beautiful people in the world. And I always will. I have told her that many times. Now you know.”

[From Instagram via E! news]

I’m kind of sad that Doutzen is leaving, just because she’s my favorite model and I love seeing her everywhere, in ad campaigns and on runways and on magazines. But considering that two of VS’s most prominent Angels left so suddenly, people are starting to wonder why. Page Six says it’s because Victoria’s Secret no longer pays their Angels very well at all:

Victoria’s Secret Angels are flying from their contracts because increasing time commitments and relatively little pay are less than heavenly, sources tell Page Six. Both Karlie Kloss and Dutch stunner Doutzen Kroes have flown the coop, and we hear more notable Angels could follow. Today’s Angels are earning far less than the top VS models of yore such as Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks, we’re told.

“The money isn’t what it used to be,” a source told Page Six. “Older contracts like Alessandra Ambrosio were in the millions, now they’re like $100,000.” Remaining Angels still include Ambrosio, Adriana Lima and Lily Aldridge.

We hear Ambrosio could be next out the door — but a source told us she’s in the middle of renegotiating her contract with VS. Money per model has shrunk as the company has hired a larger stable of Angels to walk in their splashy shows and make global appearances. “There used to be just four angels,” a source said. “Now there’s about eight.”

The ladies also have to commit 50 days a year or more to VS, which prohibits them from participating in bigger, better fashion and fragrance campaigns. The brand is also launching a Swim Special on Thursday on CBS.

Former Angel Miranda Kerr ended her contract in 2013, and a source told Page Six then that the time constraint was the issue.

[From Page Six]

They can’t do other fashion and fragrance campaigns? But Doutzen is one of the faces of Calvin Klein? Maybe that’s something she negotiated with her contract. Still, I think most models would be fine with the 50 day time commitment, but the limitations on what they can do beyond VS seem to be Draconian (in model-terms).

Here are some photos of Karlie out last night in London:

Photos courtesy of WENN.