Gigi Hadid wants to encourage woman
Gigi Hadid hoped she would "help people" when she publicly hit back at bodyshamers.
The 21-year-old model wrote a lengthy post on Instagram last year slamming those who criticised her figure and 12 months on, she admits it was all a bit overwhelming for her.
She said: "That was the journal entry that I thought would help people and let people know that they can speak up and defend themselves. Everyone is affected by the pressures that come from being on social media. We’re all human. I’ll never say that it doesn’t affect me … I’ll post a picture and one person will say I’m too fat and three comments down someone’s calling me anorexic. So it happens to everyone. We all go through it and no one’s alone in that for sure."
And Gigi – who is dating Zayn Malik – also revealed she was "really touched" that so many other models got in touch with her to tell her they felt the same way.
Speaking in Vogue magazine’s podcast, she added: "What also really touched me that week was my friends that came to me that hadn’t done so before. Everyone from my friends that are considered plus-size models to Victoria’s Secret Angels who are often shown a lot of hate for being too skinny. Neither are too much this or too much that – they’re bodies."
In her open letter, which she posted in September 2015, Gigi revealed she is "proud" of her figure.
She wrote: "Yes I have boobs, I have abs, I have a butt, I have thighs, but I’m not asking for special treatment … If I didn’t have the body I do, I wouldn’t have the career I do. I love that I can be sexy. I’m proud of it.
"I’ve said it before … I hope everyone gets to a place in their life where they’d rather talk about the things that inspire them over the things that bring others down. At least be open if not part of the change, because it’s undeniable happening."
