Earlier this week, Gigi Hadid caused controversy by sharing an Instagram post in which she cautioned people against visiting Mykonos after her villa was robbed during a recent vacation.
"Mykonos film in," Gigi wrote in her Instagram caption, "PS(A). Don’t let insta fool u. Got robbed. Never going back lol. Wouldn’t recommend. Spend your money elsewhere."
The post immediately sparked outrage among her followers. Many people pointed out that the issue wasn't exclusive to Mykonos.
Others highlighted the fact that Greece's economy relies heavily on tourism, and suggested her post could do real damage to locals.
And some even called her "self-centred".
At the time, Gigi didn't comment on the negative response to her post. However, she's now released a second statement defending herself.
"Let me make this clear for everyone below who thinks I don’t deserve to have an opinion on my experience and warn people of this," she began. "I was robbed along with more than 30 houses that night, some to gunpoint."
Gigi went on to claim that she had difficulty contacting law enforcement after the burglary, adding that this wasn't something she was aware would be an issue prior to the trip.
And she claimed that when she did get hold of the police, the they didn't have the "training and resources" to effectively deal with the problem.
"If I'd known it happened so much and there was not enough infrastructure to protect myself I wouldn’t have gone," she added.
And Gigi concluded her post by defending her decision to continue posting photos from the trip after people called her out in the comments for doing so when she'd publicly slated the island.
You can read Gigi's comment in full here.
Let me make this clear for everyone below who thinks I don’t deserve to have an opinion on my experience and warn people of this - I was robbed along with more than 30 houses that night, some to gunpoint. It was not possible to contact any form of law enforcement except through my local security who happened to have a contact. That is a privilege that most people traveling there wouldn’t have. If something happens while the police station is closed, there is nothing that can be done to protect yourself, and when the station does open, it doesn’t seem as though their training and resources are in line with keeping people safe or keeping up with the amount of crime that is happening on a nightly basis there (I am speaking of the island specifically only because it’s where I experienced this). This is not information that is shared with people before they go. If I’d known it happened so much and there was not enough infrastructure to protect myself I wouldn’t have gone. So this is my opinion based on actual events and you not liking that isn’t my problem. Lastly, I work my ass off and never do a trip like this for myself and friends, so if I want to post pictures of the trip after being robbed, I will do so.