Bella Hadid has candidly opened up on how she felt ‘disposable’ while working amid her health struggles.
The 28-year-old model has been open about her journey with a bacterial infection that’s also affected not only some of her other family members, but a slew of other celebrities too.
Shania Twain, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Osbourne, Avril Lavigne, and Justin Timberlake are just a few of the famous faces who’ve received the same diagnosis, as well as Bella’s mum, Yolanda, and brother, Anwar.
We’re talking about Lyme disease – a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks.
It’s typically easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early, and one of the main symptoms is a circular or oval-shaped rash that forms around the bite.
Bella has been honest about her struggles ever since her diagnosis in 2012, explaining that the ‘excruciating pain’ can leave her struggling to carry out even simple tasks.
Bella Hadid has opened up on how her Lyme disease diagnosis affected her ability to work (Instagram/yolanda.hadid)
Last September, the supermodel’s mum, Yolanda, shared a series of worrying photos of Bella in bed and undergoing treatments, and wrote a lengthy caption dedicated to her health struggles.
And now, in a new interview, the actress has revealed what it was like trying to work through such a difficult time.
Speaking about her performance in Ryan Murphy’s new TV show The Beauty, Bella told Vogue Italy: “Sometimes I was in a lot of pain both emotionally and physically, because we shot that for probably six months.
“I shot half of that in between my Lyme treatment, so physically, it was kind of a lot on my body.”
She added: “And I was just dealing with some things in my personal life, so emotionally it was a lot, and I was able to really manifest that in my body and put it into the art and to the work. And that for me was really fulfilling, I think, to be able to express myself in that way.”
During the interview, Bella also admitted she’s yet to learn exactly when she’s pushing it too hard or needs real rest.
She revealed that the way she worked for many years ‘was not sustainable,’ including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The model and actress recently starred in Ryan Murphy’s TV show, The Beauty (Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
“But I think that since then, Iâve also seen myself more in alignment with who I am right now,” Bella confirmed, “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.
“Now I know that if Iâm able to say ânoâ, even going through my treatment last year and having to say no to every job for almost a year, which I cried about. I was emotional because you feel disposable.”
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 476,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year in the US alone.
It’s spread to humans by infected ticks and often comes with flu-like symptoms, including a fever, headache, and fatigue.
Speaking about her condition, Bella wrote on Instagram in 2023 that she’d suffered ’15 years of invisible suffering’.
The model wrote: “Living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family, and the people who support me, proud, had taken a toll on me in ways I canât really explain.
“The universe works in the most painful and beautiful ways, but I need to say that if you are struggling – it will get better.”