Bella Hadid is opening up about the emotional toll of stepping away from her career while undergoing treatment for Lyme disease.
Bella and her supermodel sister Gigi Hadid sat for an interview with Vogue Italia recently, published on February 23, where the younger Hadid sister reflected on how she had to reject “every job for almost a year” as she focused on her health.
The decision, she admitted, left her feeling “disposable,” as if her absence from the industry made her replaceable.
Bella, 29, revealed that she now feels more aligned with herself and is "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."
She acknowledged that her former mindset, tying her self-worth to professional success, was not sustainable, and said therapy has helped her separate her identity from her career.
"For so long, saying no to a job was like who was I to say no to anything?" Bella told the magazine. "Then I had to kind of release it and be like: I think people know my heart and my personality and who I am enough now that I can release that and really do the jobs that are with and for the people that I love and trust and support and respect. And that's good enough. And I'm good enough."
Bella, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease at 16, has long been candid about her health struggles. The tick-borne illness can cause severe joint pain, fatigue, anxiety, and cognitive issues. Her brother, Anwar, and mother, Yolanda Hadid, have also been diagnosed.
After previously sharing that she was “finally healthy” following intensive treatment in 2023, Bella returned to social media in September 2025 with photos from a hospital bed.