How Bella Hadid Wore a Smiley Face for Years but Then Revealed What the Other Side of Fame Is Like
Bella Hadid is loved by the public and mass media. And this love can be explained by the model’s openness. She turned the perception of supermodels upside down by showing what the other side of fame and success is like. Bella is not afraid to talk about her personal failures, mental health challenges, and insecurities. Her honesty has made us respect her even more.
Bella Hadid’s protective armor
Bella Hadid can be called one of the most famous and successful fashion models of modern times. She works for the most prominent fashion houses, her photos appear on the covers of glossy magazines, and her face was named the most beautiful in the world by scientists. On the runway, she looks bold, dead-serious, and steely. And this is not a coincidence. Bella says that this image is her shield and armor that protect her from people around her.
From the beginning of her career, the model has avoided public attention. You can imagine how difficult it is to do that in her profession. In an interview, Bella (who was 20 years old at the time) revealed how hard she tried to live an ordinary life outside the fashion world. She preferred her high school friends to the company of rich and famous people. The only exception was her older sister Gigi, who is also a famous fashion model.
“I was the uglier sister. I was the brunette. I wasn’t as cool as Gigi, not as outgoing,” Bella revealed. Day after day, she had to be strong to smile in front of cameras. Anxiety, depression, eating issues — this was the other side of Bella’s brilliant career. Loneliness became her constant companion. In the daytime, she was shining at fashion shows and photo sessions, and at night, she cried, dreaming about something really different.
It’s time to take off her mask
Bella was hiding her mental health concerns for years. She learned to smile when she wanted to cry and tried to do her job perfectly without giving the public a chance to think that there was something wrong with her. But you can’t act forever. At some point, the model decided to share her emotions with the world.
She revealed the truth to the dozens of millions of her Instagram followers by posting photos where she was crying. Hadid raised a topic that many celebrities try to avoid: fame is not that pleasant, and popularity doesn’t make a person happy.
The model made this confession not for the sake of hype. This way, she supported people who are also suffering and think that no one can understand them. Many followers were surprised to find out that celebrities can also feel insecure and be dependent on other people’s opinion.
Moreover, Bella spoke about it not only on Instagram but also during her interviews with the press. She raised the topic of mental health and spoke about her therapy, which helped her stay afloat.
Her sister’s support
After reading that Bella had grown up in the shadow of her elder sister, many people might think that she holds a grudge against Gigi. However, this is not the case. Gigi is the closest person to Bella who is involved in her mental struggles more than others. She says, “It was always really hard, and it still is sometimes, to feel like I could help my sister in her moments of darkness or pain.”
Gigi is Bella’s exact opposite. Gigi is a cool mind, and Bella is a burning heart. The elder sister thinks that Bella’s main problem is that she gives up herself for work. But according to Gigi, this is also Bella’s magic. She is genuine and gives all her love and energy to her fans and colleagues till the last drop.
The sources of energy
Today, Bella feels much better than she did a few years ago. Thanks to therapy and the support of her family, it is easier for her to cope with her mood swings and understand when it’s time to rest and seek help. But difficult periods still occur. For example, recently, she stopped her work in the middle of New York Fashion Week, deleted her Instagram to avoid comments from the indignant public, and retreated to the countryside.
A few years ago, the Hadid sisters and their mother bought a farm in Pennsylvania. Bella spends all her free time there, riding her favorite horse and giving her body and soul some rest. This is the life the model was accustomed to in childhood. Bella and Gigi were growing up by the seacoast away from skyscrapers. Their neighbors were surfers and hippies. The model recalls that they didn’t even wear shoes as kids, and after school she was horse riding. This passion of hers has continued to this day.
Do you remember the rule on an airplane, “Put your oxygen mask on first before helping others?” This rule works in everyday life too. Bella dared to face her fears, overcame them, and now she’s helping others by raising important questions of mental health.
Perhaps, by following Bella Hadid’s example, some people will be better equipped to overcome feelings of insecurity, open up to the world, and get much-needed support from people they trust.
Do you support Bella Hadid in her being so frank with her social media followers?