Last year, 2022, was the year of Bella Hadid in the fashion world. You would be hard-pressed to find a runway show she wasn’t walking or to find a brand she wasn’t working with.
However, in 2023, the model has been noticeably quieter, as she has been seeking “intense” treatment for her Lyme disease, which her elder sister Gigi Hadid gave some insight into.
The 28-year-old recently took to Instagram to address a post she made during the week prior. Gigi had shared a photo of herself and her younger sister to her Instagram stories stating she couldn’t wait for Bella’s “comeback”.
On Wednesday, Gigi reshared the Instagram story from her archives saying, “Just want to touch on this post from last week.”
Gigi, who is mum to two-year-old Khai, explained that Bella has been away for “intense treatment” for her Lyme disease. She felt the need to clarify this as she didn’t want to misconstrue her post as a “promise” Bella would be back for shows next season.
“Bella just finished a long and intense treatment from Lyme disease. (Didn’t want some to take my post as a promise she’ll be back for shows this next season …),” Gigi wrote. “I’m so proud of her and excited for her comeback whenever she feels ready.”
What is Lyme disease?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Lyme disease is “caused by a bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi” when a deer tick bites an individual. Symptoms of the disease can fevers, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes and more.
Bella was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012 when she was just 14. Her brother, Anwar Hadid, now 24, and mother Yolanda Hadid, 59, also suffer from the same disease. In 2020, Justin Bieber also revealed he had Lyme disease.
In the past, Gigi has opened up about feeling “guilt” due to her family’s health battles.
In 2019, she told Elle USA, she became “very independent” due to having “three of [her] family members sick”.
“But I also felt a lot of guilt for being the one person in the family who didn’t understand what they were going through,” she explained. “It’s hard when your whole family is in pain and you don’t know what to do.”
