Plus-size model Tess Holliday seems to be living the dream with a glamorous career although her past was pretty much the opposite.

See PHOTOS Of Plus-Size Barbie

On Tuesday, Daily Mail posted an interview with Holliday's grandmother, Carolynn Tadlock who opened up on the break-out celebrity's frightening childhood. This includes her mom getting shot in a horrific incident.

When Holliday- whose real name is Ryann Hoven- was nine-years-old when the boyfriend of her mother, Beth, attempted murder by shooting her twice, according to Tadlock.

Ashley Graham Shows Off Figure In Black Dress In NYC

"The kids weren't there when it happened. They were with their daddy," Tadlock said, referring to Holliday and her younger brother. "He came into the bathroom and he shot her once in the back of the neck. She didn't fall down and so he shot her again and she feel down, into the bath."

Beth was undiscovered for five hours before she was found and taken to a hospital.

Despite going through a horrific incident like this, Tadlock pointed out that Holliday has truly grown into a powerful icon. At a size 22, this woman has become a massive success in the modeling industry.

"To us, it's unreal what she's made of herself. It's phenomenal," the model's grandma said. "We;re proud of her. She's done so well for herself and it's taken her a lot of struggle to get there. She has a hard time as a kid. She's been through a lot."

At 29-years-old, Holliday has more than 700,000 followers on Instagram to date.

Tags: Tess Holliday