The Lesser-Known Truth Of Yolanda Hadid

When Beverly Hills housewife Yolanda Hadid became a popular figure on the show, it wasn't for a good reason. Yolanda had just wrapped up a cosmetic procedure when her daughter, model Gigi Hadid, called to say, "I'm feeling really weak. I had, like, half an almond." Yolanda's response, which went viral, was, "Have a couple of almonds and chew them really well." It led the public to lash out at the mom of three, claiming that she was insensitive.

Overall, Yolanda's four seasons at "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" were erratic. As she shared with Entertainment Tonight, her castmates were dismissive of her Lyme disease diagnosis. When Yolanda was asked if she would consider having a comeback, her answer was crystal clear. "No, I wouldn't," she said. "It was an experience you take on, but at this point in my life, I couldn't. I'm too sensitive. I couldn't deal with that back-and-forth between women. It's not my communication style or something that's good for my life."

The reality star further added that she would prefer a more women-positive platform. Yolanda has since tapped back into her roots as a model by venturing into talent management and hosting the show "Making a Model with Yolanda Hadid." Keep scrolling to learn more about the former model and TV star.

Yolanda Hadid always had a hunch that Gigi Hadid was made for the runway, as she disclosed on "Larry King Now." It wasn't until Gigi and Bella Hadid turned 18 that she allowed them to kickstart their careers. The duo has been astonishingly successful and commands a staggering Instagram audience of 78.3 million and 60.8 million, respectively, as of April 2024. Between a massive social media following and constant attention from the press, the supermodels' lives are more public than their mom's was.

"My modeling career 40 years ago, when I started, is very different than today," Yolanda recounted in her chat with Entertainment Tonight. "Because even when you're famous, you know, I would go home at 5 o'clock, and nobody would talk about me or look for me, you know what I mean?"

The Hadid daughters' fame has its perks, but it's a double-edged sword. On one end, they have collaborated with big brand names such as Coca-Cola, Charlotte Tilbury, and Maybelline, all of which have added to their million-dollar net worths. On the other side, coping with stardom can be challenging. "At times, fame makes you feel out of control of your life," Gigi said in an interview with Variety. "I think it's tough."

Yolanda Hadid's first post on TikTok was about almonds, the nuts that got her famous in the first place. In the since-deleted video footage, Yolanda seemingly made fun of the situation by eating almonds while doing a bunch of activities around her farm. Yolanda eventually explained why she gave Gigi the advice in her interview with Entertainment Tonight. "I carry almonds in my purse every day, not because I'm on a diet," she told the outlet. "Because they level out my blood sugar."

Almonds feature in Yolanda's typical daily meal, as she shared with Harper's Bazaar. Her days start with lemon water, followed by a bowl of oatmeal mixed with almonds, fruit, honey, and stevia. For lunch, she likes to make a salad. In between meals, Yolanda drinks a glass of goat milk. When dinner time comes around, she closes the day with a bowl of soup.

Although Yolanda's meal plan is generally organic, she allows space for junk food. "You are what you eat," She remarked. "But that doesn't mean that in my household we don't have pizzas flying around sometimes, or hamburgers."

When Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik were the youngest "It" couple, Yolanda Hadid fully supported the duo's relationship. "It's their journey. I'm here to support in whatever their journey is. And you know, they're still young," Yolanda told US Weekly. In September 2020, Gigi and Malik welcomed a little bundle of joy, Khai. A year later, Yolanda Hadid celebrated her granddaughter's first birthday in a sentimental Instagram post.

That same year, Gigi and Malik reportedly called it quits. There were reports of a domestic altercation that occurred between Yolanda and Malik, which the former One Direction band member addressed on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. Malik revealed that the situation — the specifics of which he chose not to delve into — was handled the best way he knew how, and his silence on the argument was a way of protecting his daughter.

Nevertheless, the relationship between Yolanda and her granddaughter, Khai, is one of love. In her chat with Entertainment Tonight, the proud grandma said of her then-two-year-old granddaughter, "I feel like ... my mom came back in this little miniature, incredible little human being. Like, she does things [and] I'm like, 'Oh my God! That's my mom!"

While most people were doubtful about Yolanda Hadid's Lyme disease diagnosis due to its purported lack of visibility, her struggles with the illness were validated by other celebs who lived through the experience. In the mid-2010s, "Girlfriend" song sensation Avril Lavigne revealed she was suffering from the same ailment. Speaking to "Good Morning America," Lavigne said her condition, which started with on-and-off flu-like symptoms just like Hadid's, was misunderstood by high-ranking medical specialists and passed off as chronic fatigue syndrome or depression until she met a practitioner who dealt with Lyme disease.

Lavigne and Hadid struck up a friendship. "I took Avril under my wing when she first got sick and shared all I know," Hadid told The Daily Dish. "I am so proud of her for going public and helping us bring awareness to this debilitating disease."

Five years later, when Justin Bieber made his diagnosis with Lyme disease public, Lavigne contacted the "As Long as You Love Me" singer. "I just reached out like, 'Yo, here for you if you need any advice. I can share my knowledge with you,'" Lavigne told Entertainment Tonight. "He was appreciative of that, but I think it seems like he is doing well. He put out new music and he had a tour, also."