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Bella Hadid has broken her silence following a wave of online concern after fans speculated she nearly fainted during her appearance at the 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
The 29-year-old supermodel, who returned to the catwalk after months of medical treatment, took to Instagram to explain the real reason she appeared unsteady. "Okay, we're not going to pretend these wings weren't 50 pounds — but HOW BEAUTIFUL," she wrote in a now-deleted post, addressing the viral TikTok clips that showed her moving slowly and gripping her outfit for balance.
The footage, viewed more than two million times, showed Hadid dressed in a silver-and-white corset look with towering feathered wings, prompting viewers to express alarm. "She looks dizzy," one user commented. "You can see her trying to hold those wings up."
While fans worried her struggle might be linked to her long-standing battle with chronic Lyme disease, Hadid made it clear her health was not the issue this time. "It was the weight," a source close to the model told Page Six. "She was fine, but those wings were far heavier than expected."
Her appearance marked a major milestone after her quiet recovery in Germany, where she underwent neurological treatment earlier this year. Last month, she shared emotional photos from her hospital stay, connected to IVs and oxygen tubes, writing, "I'm so proud of how far I've come."
Hadid's mother, Yolanda, echoed that sentiment online, calling her daughter "a fighter who never stops trying."
Following the show, Hadid thanked fans for their concern and promised she was "feeling strong." The moment, while brief, reminded many that her resilience is as much a part of her image as her elegance.
As one admirer wrote beneath the clip, "She might have struggled for a second, but she finished like a professional, wings, weight, and all."
