Bella Hadid has detailed how she felt she was denied the opportunity to grow up in a “Muslim culture” with her Palestinian father after her family was “extracted” to California.
The model is set to make her acting debut on the Hulu series Ramy and has now revealed that the role has reignited her desire to embrace her heritage, which she was denied after her parents’ divorce.
Bella also revealed that she was the only Arab girl in her class to face racial bullying at school, which made her feel “really sad and lonely”.
Open: Bella Hadid has detailed how she felt she was denied the opportunity to grow up in a ‘Muslim culture’ with her Palestinian father after her family was ‘extracted’ to California
Bella was born in Washington to Dutch supermodel Yolanda Hadid and Palestinian real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, but the couple split when she was just four years old.
Speaking to GQ Magazine, the model explained that despite being half-Palestinian, when she and her family moved to Santa Barbara after her parents’ divorce, she longed for a chance to explore this side of her story.
“And I was extracted when we moved to California,” Bella said.
“I would have liked to grow up and be with my father every day and study and really practice, generally be able to live in a Muslim culture, but I wasn’t given that.”
Family: The model has revealed that her recent role in Hulu’s Ramy has reignited her desire to embrace her heritage (pictured with her Palestinian father Mohamed Hadid in 2017)
Bella further revealed that she was brought to tears while filming the series Remy when the crew surprised her with a Free Palestine t-shirt.
“I couldn’t handle my emotions,” she added. “Growing up and being Arab, it was the first time I was with like-minded people. I could see myself.’
She added that her friendship with the show’s star, Ramy Youssef, has helped her feel more comfortable exploring her faith.
Tough time: Bella also revealed that she was the only Arab girl in her class to face racial bullying at school, which made her feel “really sad and lonely”.
Previously, this Bella admitted she regretted having a nose job at the age of 14, telling Vogue: “I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors. I think I would have grown into it.”
Bella further noted that criticism of her looks made her feel unworthy of being considered a supermodel.
She explained: “I had this impostor syndrome where people made me feel like I didn’t deserve any of this. People always have something to say, but what I have to say is that I have always been misunderstood in my line of work and by the people around me.”
Growing up with a supermodel for an older sister didn’t help either, as Bella noted she’d spent her life comparing herself to Gigi, 26.
Revelation: It comes after Bella revealed she had a nose job when she was 14 (left before the procedure in 2010) but now regrets it as she feels she ‘grew into it’
She explained: “I was the uglier sister. I was the brunette I wasn’t as cool as Gigi, not as outgoing. That’s really what people said about me. And unfortunately, when you’re told things so many times, you just believe them.
“I always wonder how did a girl with incredible insecurities, anxiety, depression, body image issues, eating issues, who hates being touched, who has severe social anxiety – what did I do to get into this business? But over the years I became a good actress.
“I put on a very smiling face or a very strong face. I always felt like I had something to prove. People can say anything about how I look, how I speak, how I act. But in seven years I have never missed a job, canceled a job, been late for a job. Nobody can ever say I don’t work my ass off.
While Bella spent her adolescence growing up in Gigi’s shadow, she admitted she had trouble remembering her earlier years due to “childhood trauma,” which she didn’t address further.
Difficult: Bella went on to note that criticism of her looks made her feel unworthy of being considered a supermodel
Alongside older sister Gigi, Bella grew up with model brother Anwar, 22, on a ranch in Santa Barbara, California before the family moved to Beverly Hills.
Bella suffered from mental health issues throughout her childhood and revealed that she developed anorexia in high school.
Bella was prescribed extended-release Adderall for her inattentiveness, as doctors believed she had ADHD, but Bella claimed the drug’s appetite-suppressing effects triggered an eating disorder.
While Bella says she now has a healthy relationship with food, she still struggles with dysmorphic feelings, admitting, “Because of this time in my life, to this day I can hardly look in the mirror.”
The Hadid sisters’ diet has long been the subject of public scrutiny, with old episodes of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills showing the pair are willing to do anything to become models.
Memories: Bella said she had trouble remembering her earlier years due to a ‘childhood trauma’ that she did not address further (pictured with mother Yolanda, sister Gigi and brother Anwar)