Bella Hadid Opens Up About Self-Awareness And Saying No

Supermodel Bella Hadid is opening up about how challenges forced her to reconnect with herself and redefine success through boundaries. In an interview with her fellow model and sister, Gigi Hadid, she reflects on her self-awareness and why learning to say no without guilt has become one of the most important changes in her life.

Bella and Gigi Hadid followed in their mother Yolanda’s footsteps, launching their careers as models in their teen years. In a feature for Vogue Italia, Gigi stepped into the role of interviewer, leading an intimate conversation about Bella’s personal growth and evolving boundaries.

One topic of conversation between the sisters was learning how to say no. “Can you tell when you’re getting too tired, when you need to rest?” Gigi asked, to which Bella answered that it’s a process she’s still getting used to. “I’m learning that when we have to say ‘no,’ we have to say it,” Bella said.

Bella added that she worked amid the COVID pandemic, saying that the way she continuously did projects throughout the years “wasn’t sustainable.”

At 16 years old, Bella was diagnosed with Lyme disease, an illness acquired from the bite of a tick that carries the Borrelia bacteria. Some symptoms include body aches, frequent tiredness, rashes, and muscle weakness.

In 2025, Bella posted photos of herself getting treatment, writing in the caption, “I’m sorry I always go MIA I love you guys.” In the interview, Bella told Gigi that one of her fears was being forgotten, sharing that she often cried during treatments when she couldn’t be present for her prior work commitments. “I felt like they might forget me at any moment,” she expressed.

The 29-year-old model also shared her mindset back then, saying, “For a long time, if I said no to something, I was afraid they’d never call me again.”

As Bella told Gigi, she has let go of that mindset through therapy, where she learned that her modeling career doesn’t define her as a person. “Now I know that people know my heart, my personality, and who I am. And that’s okay; I’m enough,” she told her sister.

The model also noted that she’s more in tune with herself and enjoys time in Texas, where she owns a ranch-style property. Bella likes to take breaks between work there to spend time with her horses and dog, living “an authentic life” before diving back into work.

In the interview, Gigi also talked about Bella’s “number one job,” her being an aunt to Gigi’s daughter, Khai. “My favorite job of my entire life,” Bella said.

The sisters reminisced about a trip to Disneyland in January, where they enjoyed the day together and “burst into tears” during the parade. Bella explained that she is in awe of seeing her sister as a mother, referring to the mother-and-daughter relationship as the “realization of a dream.”

“When I see you with Khai, her smiling and you living your dreams through her, I feel so proud, happy, and excited even at the idea of having children of my own one day,” Bella expressed.

Apart from modeling, Bella has also done some acting work, appearing in “Ramy” and “Yellowstone.” She also stars in Ryan Murphy’s “The Beauty,” where she engages in fighting scenes.

When Gigi asks what types of roles she wants to pursue, Bella surprisingly says she wants to try being a stunt coordinating assistant, adding that she enjoys the intensity of doing “insane and crazy” stunts. Furthermore, the model doesn’t mind doing roles that would require her to try an accent or learn a different language.

As for what’s in store for her future, Bella says, “I’m curious about what god and the universe’s path is for me, what I’m going into this next year of the horse, what am I supposed to be doing in my life.”