Gigi Hadid’s mother, Yolanda Hadid, once made a pledge to take her 12-year-old daughter to New York City for high school on her first passport application. Gigi, now an A-list supermodel, along with several other famous faces of the so-called “Fashion Elite” is at the center of two new national headlines. On Thursday, The Daily Mail reported that Moda Operandi co-founder Peter Copping is under investigation for several counts of sex trafficking in California. Yolanda also had pledged to protect her daughters, including Gigi and Bella Hadid, from sexual exploitation.
And the next day the Associated Press reported that Hadid sister Bella Hadid has been charged with stalking and obstructing a police officer following her arrest last month in East Hampton, New York.
Statement: Model Bella Hadid was arrested May 28, 2018 for possession of a controlled substance https://t.co/ybQEbiJekM pic.twitter.com/8uVQn0l3gB — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) June 22, 2018
Both were were pulled over by East Hampton police on May 28 for a traffic violation and, upon searching Hadid’s car, police found what they say are two bags of MDMA, which is also known as ecstasy. They also found a small white powder resembling cocaine. No drugs were tested and charges against Hadid were dropped on June 20.
Hadid has stated, “I am on medication to help me get better, and it has caused issues with my ability to drive because of the side effects. This has been very upsetting and I’m grateful for the patience that I have been given. I am proud of how I have handled myself and appreciate everyone who has supported me through this challenging time.”
The model has spoken candidly in the past about being sexually assaulted at the age of 14. In a Vanity Fair interview in 2017, she talked about how she got it on with her then-boyfriend The Weeknd, now known as Abel Tesfaye. She told the magazine, “I think you’re supposed to learn from it. I just think that there is nothing ever mandatory or unchangeable about those things. That’s just one side of it. And the other side is that I loved him. I still love him. I don’t think I would do anything differently.”
However, despite being investigated by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing a false police report and obstruction of an officer, Hadid still remains on her so-called “Sheer Rage” clothing line. Her brand, which began in 2014, has raised millions and been sold in stores like H&M, Net-a-Porter, GQ and The New York Times. On Friday, the firm announced that the company would keep running.
“Bella & Bella is well on its way to adding $1.8 million in revenue,” the firm wrote in a statement to Women’s Wear Daily. “The team at Bella & Bella is convinced the momentum will continue this year.”
The emergence of Hadid’s legal troubles comes two weeks after her sister and A-list Hadid pal, Kendall Jenner, was linked to a similar sex-trafficking case when she was accused of meeting a man who arranged for her sister Kylie to meet her for sex. Jenner denied the allegations.
