Bella Hadid has opened up in a way fans haven’t seen before, admitting that for years, she’s leaned on an alter ego just to get through the pressures of being in the spotlight.
In a raw and revealing chat with British Vogue, the 28-year-old model confessed that her younger years were plagued by self-doubt and insecurity, especially when it came to her looks. “I was like 17, 18 years old not knowing or loving myself a hundred per cent yet,” she said, reflecting on the early days of her modelling career.
Bella, who left home young to pursue life in the fashion industry, described what it was like stepping into a world where your appearance is constantly scrutinised. “I had just moved out of my parents’ house and gone straight into a world where you have to stare in the mirror every single day,” she explained.
She didn’t hold back on the physical challenges of her job either. “And we get our periods. You’re shooting Victoria’s Secret on your period, with endo. That should be illegal. I’m going to talk to the White House about it, because we should literally ban women working on the week of their period. And the week before, to be honest,” she said.
Bella went on to explain that facing the mirror daily and trying to meet impossible standards took a serious toll on her self-worth. That’s when she started creating a version of herself to cope with the demands – someone she calls “Belinda.”
“That’s why I say the girl who’s at work is Belinda. And then the minute that I get home, I’m on the couch, that’s just Bella again,” she said, revealing the emotional split between her public persona and private self.
Describing Belinda, she said, “Belinda just does her job. She slays. She can be crying from 5am to 7am but by the time she gets to work, a smile’s on her face and she’s going to do her job and get through it. That’s Belinda for me.”
Opening up further, Bella admitted the alter ego has been her emotional armour for years. “I get emotional thinking about it, because it’s like I have put on that alter ego for a very long time. It’s almost a mask because when I get home I am just a depletion. I’m a skeleton,” she said.
It’s a rare glimpse behind the glamorous curtain – and a reminder that even the most picture-perfect faces are fighting battles we don’t always see.