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Supermodel Bella Hadid is opening up about the emotional toll of stepping back from work during her Lyme disease treatment.
In a recent joint interview with her sister Gigi Hadid for Vogue Italia, Bella revealed that her health struggles forced her to decline nearly all professional opportunities for close to a year, a period she says deeply affected her sense of self.
"I was emotional because you feel disposable," Bella admitted, reflecting on the time she spent focusing on treatment instead of her fast-paced modeling career.
The 29-year-old explained that the break, while difficult, ultimately helped her reassess her relationship with work and personal worth. She said her earlier mindset around constantly saying yes "was not sustainable," adding that therapy has helped her separate her value as a person from her professional output.
"For so long, saying no to a job was like who was I to say no to anything?" she said. "Then I had to kind of release it and be like: I think people know my heart and my personality and who I am enough now that I can release that and really do the jobs that are with and for the people that I love and trust and support and respect. And that's good enough. And I'm good enough."
Bella, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease at 16, has long been open about the condition and its impact on her health. The illness, which can cause symptoms such as severe fatigue, joint pain, anxiety and brain fog, has affected multiple members of her family, including her mother Yolanda Hadid and brother Anwar Hadid.
These days, Bella says she feels more grounded. She credited time spent in Texas with her horses and dog for helping her build a healthier balance between her personal life and career.
"Being able to be in Texas with my horses and my dog, having a real life, and then going back to work makes it more fulfilling," she shared.
While she has returned to the spotlight, Bella indicated she is now more selective about the projects she takes on, prioritizing trust, respect and wellbeing over the pressure to constantly stay visible.
