Bella Hadid felt ‘disposable’ turning down ‘every job for almost a year’ due to Lyme disease battle

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Bella Hadid has spoken about the challenges of balancing work and personal life while living with Lyme disease, a chronic neurological condition she’s battled for 14 years.

For years, my work habits weren’t healthy. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, I kept pushing myself,” the 29-year-old model from IMG told Vogue Italia on Tuesday.

Having a life outside of work – being with my horses and dog here in Texas – makes my job feel much more rewarding when I return.

Hadid has learned to prioritize her well-being and only accept work with those she genuinely likes, trusts, and believes in.

I learned that it’s okay to say ‘No.’ Even while undergoing Lyme disease treatment last year, I had to decline all job offers for almost a year, which was really difficult and made me upset, but I got through it.

‘I was emotional because you feel disposable.’

On September 18th, Yolanda Hadid shared a post on Instagram celebrating her daughter, a woman born in Washington D.C. and raised in Malibu, while she was in the hospital, calling her a ‘fierce warrior’.

I’m so incredibly impressed by their courage and determination. Even with everything falling apart – the treatments not working and all the disappointments they’ve been through – they just keep fighting for their health, and I really admire that.

It’s impossible to truly express how much darkness, pain, and uncertainty you’ve faced since your diagnosis. It hasn’t been a life, but a struggle just to cope with what’s happening in your mind. I’m incredibly proud of your strength and resilience. Please remember you’re not on this journey alone, and I’ll be here to support you every step of the way, for as long as it takes.

Hadid shared a message of hope, saying, ‘You’ve made it through another tough month of treatment, and it reminds me that amazing things happen every day. I’m praying for you to get better quickly, my love. This illness has been incredibly difficult for us, but we always find the strength to keep going. We’ll keep fighting for brighter days, together. You’re so strong and a true survivor… I love you dearly.’

I’ve been following Yolanda Hadid’s health journey for a while now, and it’s been so inspiring to see her strength. Like her children, Gigi and Anwar, she actually dealt with a tick-borne illness back in 2012. But she recently decided to stop publicly talking about it, and I totally understand why. She felt like she was taking on everyone else’s thoughts and judgements about what she was going through, and she needed to protect her own peace and focus on her own recovery. It’s a really brave decision, and I admire her for prioritizing her well-being.

Eight years after sharing her health journey in the book Believe Me, Yolanda remains committed to finding a cost-effective cure. She detailed seeing 106 doctors and trying various treatments, including stem cell and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, chelation, and colon hydrotherapy.

In 2023, an activist from the Abolish ICE movement surprisingly announced she was feeling well and expressed pride in her perseverance.

Hadid, who has 74.2 million followers on social media, wanted to let everyone know she was doing alright and didn’t want them to worry, she shared at the time.

I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. Even with all the challenges I’ve faced, and knowing what it took to get here – to be with all of you, and to be healthy – I’d gladly go through it all again.

Everything that’s happened in my life, both the good and the bad, has shaped me into the person I am now. Life can be incredibly difficult, but also surprisingly wonderful, and I truly believe things will improve if you’re going through a tough time. I can promise you that.

Many other well-known figures also experience Lyme disease, such as Justin Timberlake, Shania Twain, Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, Alec Baldwin, Amy Schumer, Ben Stiller, Riley Keough, Daryl Hall, Debbie Gibson, Alexis Ohanian Sr., Kelly Osbourne, Ryan Sutter, and Ramona Singer.

The model, who is half Dutch and half Palestinian, was photographed looking unsteady leaving a party at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood on Saturday. This followed another sighting four days earlier, when she was seen leaving a marijuana dispensary called The Artist Tree in Beverly Hills.

In addition to her work as a model, Hadid is also the founder of Ôrəbella, a fragrance company that doesn’t use alcohol, which she started in 2024.

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2026-02-24 23:49