Gigi Hadid Opens Up About Dealing with Body-Shamers

The model’s story proves you never really know what anyone else is personally going through.

Over the course of Gigi Hadid’s modeling career, the star’s body has changed a lot. Of course, a lot of that has to do with her growing up, but she has also faced several health and metabolism issues. Still, many of Gigi’s longtime followers have criticized her for, as they see it, caving to the fashion industry’s pressure for models to be thin. In a Harper’s Bazaar interview with Blake Lively, Gigi admitted that it still bothers her when she hears body-shaming comments – especially because there’s a story behind it all.

“Most of it is just nonsense. But it can still hurt,” she explained. “Nowadays, people are quick to say, ‘I used to love Gigi’s body, and now she just gave in.’  But I’m not skinny because I gave in to the industry. When I had a more athletic figure, I was proud of my body because I was an amazing volleyball player and horseback rider. But after discovering that I have Hashimoto’s [an autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid], I needed to eat healthy and work out.”

“It was weird as a teenager, dealing with this when all of my friends could eat McDonald’s and it wouldn’t affect them,” she added about her experiences.

But she has learned to speak up for herself against the shaming comments, and take the rest in stride. “Honestly, we can’t look back with regret. I loved my body then, and I love my body now,” she shared, adding in some advice for her fans who many be going through a similar situation. “Whoever is reading this, I want you to realize that three years from now you will look back at a picture from this time period and be like: “Wow, I was so hot. Why did I feel so bad about myself because of some stupid thing someone said?”

You go, Gigi!