After becoming the butt of online attacks for her recent weight gain, supermodel Gemma Ward has revealed that she has no plans to return to return to the runway.

Gemma, once romantically linked to actor Heath Ledger, disappeared from the fashion industry after his death in January 2008. Ward was photographed celebrating her 22nd birthday in New York City last week, alongside close friend and Sports Illustrated swimwear model Jessica Gomes, The Sunday Telegraph reports.

“I was really surprised when I saw her, considering what she used to look like – I had to do a double-take after I saw how much weight she had put on,” remarked one baffled onlooker.

Last week, she was snapped wearing a leopard-print jacket, shorts and biker boots, the photographs were quickly posted by international fashion blogger Bryan Boy’s fashionologie.com, where many fashion fans viciously attacked Gemma’s new shape.

A spokeswoman for Viviens Modeling Agency announced that Gemma — who was criticized early in her career for being too thin — has no immediate plans to return to the catwalk.

“Gemma hasn’t committed to returning to modeling at any time soon,” she said.

In 2007, Gemma Ward earned $3 million and was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 11th highest-paid supermodel in the world.