Bella Hadid Opened Up About Struggling With Boundaries In Her Relationships And With Her Family

    "I was constantly told that my voice was less important than their voice."

    Bella Hadid spoke about having difficulties with boundaries in her family and in her relationships.

    Bella smiling with "wet look" hair and diamond earrings

    Speaking on the VS Voices podcast, Bella said, "I grew up around men — whether that was in relationships or family or whatever that was — where I was constantly told that my voice was less important than their voice."

    Bella wearing a dress with a chest plate made to look like "gold lungs" dress and her hair in a bun

    "Then, moving into relationships growing up and not having the boundaries of being able to stick up for myself and have my voice heard affected me in my adult relationships very intensely, where my nervous system would crash," she continued.

    Bella wearing a halter top column dress

    "It was fight or flight. Either I would become silent and cry and go inward, or I would lash out and leave," she said.

    Bella with her hair in an updo with wispy tendrils

    "I constantly went back to men — and, also, women — that had abused me, and that’s where the people-pleasing came in. I started not having boundaries, not only sexually, physically, and emotionally, but then it went into my work space," Bella added, explaining how she began to hyper-focus on her job. "I began to be a people-pleaser with my job."

    Bella walking the runway in a strapless minidress and matching knee-high boots

    However, a mixture of therapy, meditation, and staying off social media has helped her. "Now I'm able to open up and speak my mind, especially within my relationships and within my family," she added.

    Of course, Bella comes from a famous family — her mom is Real Housewife Yolanda, her sister is supermodel Gigi, her dad is real estate developer Mohamed, and her brother, Anwar, is also a public figure.

    Bella, Yolanda, Gigi, and Mohamed

    Bella's most high-profile relationship was with the Weeknd, whom she started dating in 2015 when she was 18 and he was 25. The two were on and off for four years. Currently, Bella is rumored to be with art director Marc Kalman, while the Weeknd is reportedly dating Angelina Jolie.

    Bella and the Weeknd sitting together and touching each other's legs at a fashion show

    You can listen to the full interview here.