The Chilling Medical Condition Behind Farrah Fawcett’s Iconic Bathing Suit Poster

Farrah Fawcett was an award-winning actress and model who gained international fame when she posed for her iconic red bathing suit poster. Now, REELZ’s new docuseries, Autopsy: Farrah Fawcett, seeks to uncover the truth behind her curious outfit choice, and the medical secret behind it.

“This was the photo that was taken of Farrah Fawcett. It became the biggest selling poster in the world,” says Dr. Michael Hunter in the promo.

As RadarOnline.com readers know, the Hollywood beauty died of a rare form of cancer in 2009, despite having always led a healthy lifestyle. In REELZ's new show, Hunter and his team of investigators expose the truth behind her troubled medical history.

“I’ve discovered a little-known medical condition of Farrah’s that may have been instrumental in the success of the poster,” says Hunter in the teaser.

“She was born with Pyloric Stenosis, which is a blockage in the small intestine,” he continues. “It causes young children to be sick. It’s relatively common and it’s fixed by surgery.”

Fawcett had the operation when she was just 28 years old, causing her to have a scar on her stomach for the rest of her life.

“She was very self-conscious about it,” says another spokesperson in the video. “It was a source of embarrassment for her… it became a problem because she had to have that scar tissue removed.”

When she arrived to do her infamous photo shoot, it was her scar that dictated Farrah Fawcett’s choice of outfit. While directors wanted her to do a bikini shoot, she chose the now-iconic red one-piece to hide her scar!

Autopsy: Farrah Fawcett airs Sunday, March 11 at 8 ET / PT on REELZ.