ICYMI last week, supermodel Gigi Hadid was leaving a Milan Fashion Week show with her sister Bella. The were walking towards their car hand in hand when a stranger ran up behind Gigi, picked her up and immobilised her limbs.
While security around her scrambled, Gigi managed to free herself by smashing her elbow into his cheekbone.
Shortly after, The Sun ran a story about the incident, accusing Hadid of ‘lashing out’ and ‘elbowing a fan’ – implying that 1) she was acting crazy and/or aggressive to people who idolise her, and 2) anyone is entitled to do what they want with her body because she is famous.
Since the incident, her assailant Vitalii Sediuk has written what he refers to as an “article” (multiple lengthy captions on three separate Instagram posts, which we’ve decided not to link to) which explains that he “lifted” attacked Gigi because he is sick of seeing ‘Instagram famous’ people in major fashion campaigns, rather than professional models.
Sediuk says he finds it “not easy to walk through Milan streets these days” due to seeing Gigi‘s picture everywhere.
He blames Anna Dello Russo, Carine Roitfeld and Anna Wintour for his actions.
Now, Gigi has written a short piece for Lena Dunham‘s site ‘Lenny Letter’ (prefaced by Dunham herself), in which the model gives her account of the incident, and explains why she reacted the way she did.
“I remember taking the time, as it all felt slo-mo, to look at him, a stranger, and my first reaction was: “Get me out of this situation.” I played volleyball, and my coaches talked about muscle memory. I started boxing two years ago and I always remembered that.Since then, I hadn’t been in a situation that forced me to fight back, but it just came out when he grabbed me — it wasn’t a choice. I do have that fighter in me.”
She goes on to explain that she “felt [like she] was in danger”, and “had every right to react the way [she] did”.
The model says she learned her instincts from her mother:
“When my mom first saw what had happened, she texted me the picture of me elbowing the guy and (among other messages of support) said, “Good girl.” My mom has taught me the power of my instincts since I was a kid.She’d always be like, “OK. Pay attention to the people who make you feel uncomfortable. I want you to tap into that and be aware of it.””
Gigi also spoke about how disappointed she was the woman who wrote the article in The Sun, who twisted the story to sound as though she attacked a fan:
“First of all, it was a woman who wrote the story with that headline. What would you tell your daughter to do?If my behaviour isn’t model behaviour, then what is? What would you have told your daughter to do in that situation?”
You can read Gigi’s piece in full here: lennyletter.com/work/a551/gigi-hadid-speaks-out-about-fashion-show-attack/
Source: Lenny Letter.
Photo: Entertainment Tonight.
