When Gigi Hadid and longtime boyfriend Zayn Malik called it quits in October, the 26-year-old model’s family supported her. A source told HollywoodLife exclusively that siblings Bella, 25, and Anwar, 22, as well as mom Yolanda, 57, were “relieved,” offering insights into the tight knit Hadid family and noting they were “protective” of her and daughter Khai, 1, whom she shares with Zayn.
“Gigi’s family has been very supportive and stood by her throughout all of this,” the source said. “They’re protective of her and of Khai and have seen them having issues for awhile now, but the family is very private so not many people knew. Gigi is very close with her mom and siblings and no matter what, they’re going to stand by her.”
While much is known about her model siblings, the same probably can’t be said for her parents: Yolanda and ex-husband Mohamed, 73. The two were married between 1994 and 2000. Despite their split, the family appears to still have a close bond. Learn more about Gigi’s mom and dad below.
Yolanda Hadid (née van den Herik)
Yolanda, born January 11, 1964 in Papendrecht, Netherlands, is a former model and TV personality. The apples don’t fall too far from the tree, as Yolanda began a modeling career in the 1980s, appearing in the pages of Vogue and Grazia, among others. In 1994, she wed Mohamed, welcoming Gigi, Bella, and Anwar soon after. Following her modeling career, Yolanda forayed into the world of reality TV, starring in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She left the show in 2016 after three seasons to focus on her health: the former model was diagnosed with Lyme disease, a bacterial infection from the bite of an infected tick, in 2012. In an interview with British Vogue in February, Yolanda credited her children for keeping her alive during her harrowing health journey.
“I can’t begin to describe the darkness, the pain and the hell I lived through every day,” she said. “For some time, it didn’t even feel like living at all. This disease brought me to my knees. Many nights I wished to die, and prayed I would just be free of the pain. If it weren’t for my children, I don’t think I would be here today. It’s so important we learn to listen to people, as many of us are suffering in silence.” Following her split from Mohamed, Yolanda married composer David Foster in 2011, but they split six years later. These days, Yolanda is accompanying her model children at their runway shows, tending to a career in interior design, and spending time with her family at their Pennsylvania farm.
Mohamed Hadid
Mohamed, born November 6, 1948 in Nazareth, Israel, is a real estate developer known for building luxury mansions and hotels, including several Ritz-Carlton hotels, across Los Angeles, New York, and Washington. As one of the most successful real estate developers in the United States, Mohamed serves as CEO of Hadid Design and Development Group. Building and real estate is in his blood: his great-grandfather Daher Al Omer built the port of Haifa in Israel. In his profile with Milestone magazine, he credited his work ethic to parents.
“My family went through a lot,” Mohamed said. “We were forced out of Palestine and fled to Syria in 1948. From there we journeyed to Lebanon and then to Tunisia before ending up in Greece and finally across the Atlantic in Washington, DC. Throughout all this time and upheaval my parents made sure that me and my seven siblings were well educated and that we maintained our culture. They ensured we were happy and didn’t carry any anger, like many refugees do. . . My parents gave us wings.”
With his many successes, Mohamed cited his children as his biggest achievement. “My children, there’s no question,” he said when asked what he was most proud of. “They make me incredibly proud every day and everything they’ve achieved is down to them. . . They are by far my greatest achievement.” Along with his three children with Yolanda, Mohamed shares two daughters, Marielle, 41, and Alana, 36, with his first wife Mary Butler.