Erin O'Connor comes forward with ‘ADHD’ diagnosis

Erin O'Connor is "thoroughly neurodivergent" and spent years hiding her real self while working in the fashion industry.

The 48-year-old model has opened up about her experiences in a new interview revealing she didn't truly understand herself.

She told Grazia magazine: "I’m so sick of not telling the truth... I am thoroughly neurodivergent. It took perimenopause, an ADHD diagnosis and a divorce to put things into perspective...”

Erin continued, "For a very long time I had the best time masquerading, in every sense of the word...[Working in fashion] allowed me to conceal … the person that is here now…”

"I think it was… elegant concealment... People would say: 'You’re so confident.' And I’d think – no. It’s manufactured poise...' I got used to living like that. Moving from one version of myself to the next,” the high-fashion model added.

"I masked a lot. Modelling made that easier. You’re allowed to become someone else,” Erin admitted.

Erin took a break form the modelling industry to focus on her children but returned in 2024 starring in a campaign for Burberry.

In an interview with The Times newspaper last year, Erin insisted her two sons, from her relationship with Stephen Gibson, need to see their mother being busy with work.

"Emotionally, you know, the kids will still question why and where I’m going. But it’s also really important that you keep almost challenging that on their behalf, I think as an act of love,” she said, adding, "To promote independence and self-sufficiency and that Mummy has her thing as well as Daddy, and one day you’ll hopefully have your thing too."

As she spoke of co-parenting, the catwalk beauty mentioned, "The thing is, we brought them here. And I think they deserve to feel that absolute, unbridled love.”

"Every separation, honestly, is very tough. And it’s very wearing. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have got to that very painful decision,” Erin O’Connor ended the conversation in which she spoke of taking care of her family.