There’s a reason Time included Bella Hadid on their 2023 list of the 100 most influential people. She’s grown so far beyond the status of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills daughter.
And that’s not to discredit Yolanda Hadid’s role in her fame (or excuse nepotism on the whole). But Bella makes waves no matter what she does, often drawing just as much criticism and speculation as support.
In 2013, Bella was diagnosed with Lyme disease, beginning holistic treatment from then on out. And it looks like that treatment did exactly what the Hadids hoped.
Bella opens up about her struggles
On August 6, Bella made a post on Instagram showcasing her battle with various health complications. The post included multiple records detailing her “medical problems,” including constant illness for 18 months, depression, exhaustion, and issues of memory. Moreover, another record indicated “Severely High tissue toxicity of 16.”
In her caption, Bella wrote, “the little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself??” She stated, “I am okay and you do not have to worry,” also adding, “If I had to go through all of this again, to get here … finally healthy, I would do it all again. It made me who I am today.”
Bella also made sure to thank Yolanda specifically. “Thankful to my mommy for keeping all of my medical records, sticking by me, never leaving my side, protecting, supporting, but most of all, believing me through all of this.” And Yolanda stepped up. There seems to be a subconscious inclination to brush women’s health issues aside.
Is Bella worthy of criticism?
And to that point, many in the comments were skeptical about all of Bella’s claimed sufferings. But while claims such as those are silly, others criticized her based on her privilege. Bella acknowledged her privilege, and how confusing it was to have such intense physical and mental ailments despite her support system.
That rubbed some users the wrong way. As one commenter wrote, “For the people who go through this that aren’t millionaires, what advice do you have?” Of course, we could count that more as a failure of the healthcare system than Bella herself.
And she had plenty of support just as well from friends and fans alike. One fan even shared their own struggles with “Lyme, co-infections, and chronic autoimmune diseases,” and thanked Bella for bringing awareness to the illness, calling her “inspiring” and “a warrior.” And on a personal level, no one knows what Bella went through except her.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BELLA’S STRUGGLES? DO YOU THINK THERE’S ANYTHING TO CRITICIZE, OR DO PEOPLE CREATE CONTROVERSY?
