Shooting to fame at a young age saw supermodel Bella Hadid under pressure to present a certain party girl 'sexbot' image. Photo / Getty Images
Shooting to fame at a young age saw supermodel Bella Hadid under pressure to present a certain party girl 'sexbot' image. Photo / Getty Images
Twenty-four-year-old model Bella Hadid shot to fame as a teenager, and has said she was still "in the process of figuring out" who she was when the public first began learning about her.
Hadid admitted she felt like people saw her as a "sexbot" in the early days of herfame, and she therefore felt "enormous pressure" to keep that image up even though that wasn't who she was.
She said: "It's like there were two Bellas. "Me, this person in the process of figuring out who she was, and 'Bella Hadid' the alter ego, who was - I dunno - a sexbot who goes out every night?
"I have insane social anxiety. Partying is not my thing, but I felt enormous pressure to project that image because I assumed that's all people wanted from me."
Hadid no longer feels that pressure now that she's older, because she's able to show off her own personality without being forced into a "box".
Speaking to the September issue of Vogue magazine she said: "Now I don't want to live in that box. I definitely feel like I'm allowed to speak."
Hadid took a break from social media earlier this year in order to self-reflect.
She said upon her return to Instagram in late January: "I took some time away to reflect and learn about myself in a way that would be too much to explain at the moment, but with time I will express. The memories and fortune I came back with are pure wisdom, a closer relationship with myself & my spirituality, a sense of self-love that I have always lacked, a few great friends, and these books that saw me through.
"I found myself, my strength and my light again. I am only here to be an instrument of peace & love to help people that suffer and hopefully the world, in time... Thank you to my angels who have supported and have continued to love me , for me. You saved me. Take time to get help for your mental health. It's worth it to get to your full potential."
