The Untold Truth Of Mohamed Hadid And Shiva Safai
After two failed marriages, many would expect Mohamed Hadid to give up on love. However, the Palestinian-American real estate tycoon did the complete opposite after locking eyes with his much younger partner, Iranian-born model Shiva Safai.
Being good friends with current The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Lisa Vanderpump and the ex-husband to former cast member Yolanda Hadid means reality TV fans are already familiar with Mohamed and his stunning lady. They've been featured on the program, and Safai was actually offered a role on the popular Bravo TV series, but she turned it down, opting instead to appear on the since-canceled E! program Second Wives Club. Though that show only lasted one season, it shed some light on the couple's May-December romance, as well as the dynamics behind their union.
To call this relationship unconventional is an understatement, which makes us even more fascinated as we explore what really makes this pair tick. This is the untold truth of Mohamed Hadid and Shiva Safai.
They locked eyes over Italian
So where would one go to meet a billionaire businessman selling multi-million dollar properties like hot cakes? Well, Beverly Hills, of course! Their fated first meeting happened at posh restaurant Il Pastaio — an eatery where the city's elite go to be seen while feasting on the finest Italian dishes.
"It was just one of those random days," Safai told Fox News in 2017. "I met with a girlfriend and we went to have lunch. Hadid was there waiting for his friend and it was an instant attraction."
In fact, it was his "piercing blue eyes" that really mesmerized her, and after saying ciao bella, the smitten duo connected on Facebook. "He then asked me out on a date and it was just an instant chemistry. Everything felt so right and it was so comfortable. It was so easy... and I felt that we met each other at the right time in our lives," she said.
The three decades between them are NBD
It's not uncommon to see couples with huge age gaps in the entertainment industry and beyond, especially since romantic pairings with massive age differences aren't as taboo as they once were. Despite how far we've come in being more accepting of nontraditional partnerships, some people are still a bit skeeved out by Mohamed Hadid being more than 30 years older than Shiva Safai. She celebrated her 37th birthday and he celebrated his 69th birthday in 2017.
The decades between them has been a hot topic, but Safai doesn't seemed bothered by the fact that she's actually one month younger than his eldest daughter, Marielle Hadid. Awkward much?
During an episode of Second Wives Club (via E! News), Safai revealed that she doesn't "feel" the age difference at all. "I'm an old soul and he's young at heart," she said. Go ahead and flip to "age ain't nothing but a number" in the dictionary, and we guarantee a picture of these two will pop up!
She barely remembers his proposal
Two years after their first encounter in the luxe zip code of 90210, the infatuated duo jetted off to a romantic destination in the Indonesian island of Bali. They were just finishing up their dinner when Mohamed Hadid pulled up Shiva Safai's chair and said, "I need to have a talk with you."
"I really thought I had done something wrong!" she told Fox News, recalling that pivotal moment on Dec. 31, 2013. "He then started tearing up and the rest, honestly, I can't remember because I was balling [sic]. I was crying so much." The tears flowed even faster when she saw the ring, and we don't blame her! Have you seen that sparkler? Talk about bling bling!
"I don't remember the words he was saying, but I know I said, 'Yes!' It was exactly what I wanted," she said.
After getting engaged, most couples spring into action to begin planning their wedding. However, Safai soon found out that Hadid's grand proposal didn't necessarily mean he was ready to tie the knot. More on that later...
Chivalry isn't dead for these two lovebirds
Mohamed Hadid has two prior marriages under his belt, and Shiva Safai was also unlucky in love prior to meeting him. She has briefly spoken about her ex-husband here and there, conveniently leaving out the major details about their roughly ten years together and the catalyst behind her divorce.
Though she remains mum about her ex, she did credit Hadid for helping her get over the past. During an episode of Second Wives Club (via E! News), Safai said, "[Hadid] brought back the sparkle I was missing in my eyes and he really, really put the broken pieces back together." Aww!
That wasn't the first nor the last time she gushed about her real estate bae. "I feel so blessed and grateful for being engaged to a wonderful and kind man," she told Harper's Bazaar Arabia. "Not only has he healed my broken heart and wounds but also shown me how a real woman is treated. Chivalry is not dead in our relationship."
Before we jump ahead of ourselves and call Hadid the perfect partner, we have to discuss the one thing that's preventing their relationship from going to the next level...
He's 'not sure' about getting married
Following their December 2013 engagement, many assumed the betrothed couple would start planning the most glamorous wedding Beverly Hills had ever seen. Shiva Safai seemed ready to kick into action and take a walk down the aisle, though an over-the-top nuptial wasn't her style. "I would like to keep it very simple and timeless and elegant," the bride-to-be told Bravo's The Daily Dish. "I think that would be the three keys of my wedding inspiration."
Hadid apparently had other things in mind for the ceremony — or lack thereof. After racking up two ex-wives, he wanted to take his time before sealing the deal with his Persian beauty. "The thing about it is, we have it so right, right now," he told Safair during an episode of Second Wives Club. "I'm not sure, I feel like you and I are married already."
As of this writing, the couple is still happy in love...and unmarried. Does this mean Safai's not the one, or does Hadid just have a major case of cold feet? Only time will tell.
Once a cheater, always a cheater?
There have been some nasty accusations lobbed against against Mohamed Hadid, including that time The Real Housewives of Miami star Lisa Hochstein claimed he hooked up with co-star Joanna Krupa while still married to Yolanda Hadid. He denied that dirt, and Yolanda wrote on her Bravo TV blog: "Joanna Krupa did not cause Mohamed and I's divorce. Unfortunately infidelity did, but at this point, 12 years later, we have left that negative chapter behind and have moved on to be friends and are united parents to our children."
Years later, Mohamed was caught in yet another scandal. An aspiring model by the name of Miranda "Vee" Vasquez accused the businessman of date rape. He fired back, claiming he was a "victim of libel, slander, and defamation by Vasquez" and alleging she was part of an extortion plot.
When his fiancée was asked to give her take on the accusations during an interview with SiriusXM's Conversations with Maria Menounos, Shiva Safai simply responded, "I've decided to really just focus on myself and great things that are coming ahead." Well, okay then.
He thinks having kids with her would be selfish
Mohamed Hadid has five kids from previous relationships. Alana and Marielle Hadid are his daughters with first wife Mary Butler. Supermodel daughters Gigi and Bella Hadid and model son Anwar Hadid are his kids with second wife, former Dutch model-turned-reality star Yolanda Hadid.
Shiva Safai came into their relationship without any children of her own, and she has settled perfectly into the role of playing stepmom. Is she interested in raising biological children with her fiancé?
Safai told Conversations with Maria Menounos in 2018 that she felt "this urge of wanting to have kids" during her first marriage, but "I feel like I don't have that anymore." She added, "If it's meant to be, it will happen, and if not, I think I'll be okay with that too." Safai has kept the door to motherhood ajar. "Mentally and physically I'm not ready for it," she said, "but maybe in three years."
She also knows that time is not on her husband's side. "If I were him I wouldn't want to have kids," she said. "His youngest is 18." Mohamed reportedly told Safai that it would be selfish for him to father more children this late in his life, knowing that he may not be around to watch them grow up.
We don't have a dog in this fight. We just hope Safai isn't putting her own needs and wants on the back burner just to appease her beau — something Menounos grilled her about during their chat.
All in the family
Mohamed Hadid and ex-wife Yolanda Hadid have a bond that has grown even stronger through the years. They've even appeared on the red carpet together with their kids and Shiva Safai in tow. Believe it or not, you won't find any baby mama drama around these parts.
According to Radar Online, Yolanda reached out to Mohamed following her divorce from music exec David Foster, and Safai didn't mind at all. An insider claimed Mohamed's fiancée "is very comfortable in her own skin and has no reason to not trust Mohamed. She knows that their three grown children benefit from Yolanda and Mohamed getting along, and that is what matters."
During an episode of the Second Wives Club (via the Mirror), Safai dived even deeper into the inner workings of their blended family. "I have a great relationship with his first and second wife. I never like drama. I don't think there should be a reason not to get along, we all want to make sure family comes first... We often do Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthdays together. At the end of the day it's all about getting along and we do," she said.
It sounds like the perfect situation all around. Now, if only she can drag her guy to the altar. That would really be the highlight of this Beverly Hills fairy tale!