Is Model Bella Hadid Muslim?

Bella Hadid, born Isabella Khairiah Hadid on October 9th 1996, is a famous American fashion model who has appeared on countless Vogue magazine covers, has headlined Fashion Weeks around the world and appeared as an ambassador for high fashion brands and charities alike.

However, Bella and her sister Gigi Hadid have both courted controversy and received undulating praise for their activism around faith-based initiatives. Many of these initiatives have followed the plight of the people of Palestine and for that reason the question has been asked frequently: is Bella Hadid a practising Muslim?

Are Bella Hadid's parents religious?

Bella, like siblings Gigi and Anwar, comes from a multi-faith background with mixed ethnicity heritage. Her father, Mohamed Hadid, is a real-estate mogul and originally from Palestine, like the parents of DJ Khaled. Her mother, Yolanda Hadid, is a Dutch-American former model.

Mohamed has always been vocal about his Islamic faith and Bella has mentioned to magazines that her father "was always religious, and always prayed with us."

Bella's upbringing was divided between Washington D.C. and Santa Barbara in California following her parents' divorce.

Bella Hadid's Palestinian roots

In a recent interview with GQ, Bella shed light on her journey towards reconnecting with her Palestinian roots and her exploration of Muslim culture. Throughout her childhood and adolescent years, Bella felt a disconnect from her Arab heritage, something that deeply affected her. Bella mentioned that she yearned for the chance to grow up living in a Muslim culture—a desire left unfulfilled due to her circumstances.

Her exploration of her roots was rebirthed when she landed her first significant acting role in "Ramy," a drama series that follows the story of an Egyptian American and his family. This opportunity allowed Bella to connect with like-minded people who shared her Arab heritage. Bella's connection with her co-star, Ramy, helped her further immerse herself in her culture. She even described the experience of praying with him during Ramadan as "one of the most beautiful moments" of her adult life.

 So, is Bella actually Muslim? 🤔

On April 3rd 2017, The Cut magazine published an interview with Bella where she said she was "proud to be a Muslim". This marked the beginning of her public discourse about Islam.

In May 2021, Bella Hadid joined a pro-Palestinian protest and was an active voice against Donald Trump who campaigned for a "Muslim ban". Bella was seen protesting in New York City alongside her sister Gigi.

The supermodel continues to share images on her Instagram with religious messages, Eid holiday wishes and more.

In a caption shared on her Instagram page, Bella wrote:

"I stand with my Palestinian brothers and sisters, I will protect and support you as best as I can. I LOVE YOU"