Gigi Hadid Responds to People Who Say She Gained Success Due to Her Family's Connections

Gigi Hadid looks stunning on the cover of Elle‘s March 2019 issue, on newsstands February 19.

In the mag, the 23-year-old model speaks about not being competitive with her sister Bella Hadid, and more. Here’s what she shared…

On not being competitive with sister Bella: “Bella and I have very different styles. A job that wants Bella is not a job that I’m the right look for, so I never took that personally. In a lot of ways, she inspires me. We learn from each other.”

On what compelled her to march against Trump’s travel ban in 2017: “Hearing my family’s stories. My family was grateful to be given the chance to make a different life for themselves. Everyone could have stories like that if they were given the chance. Being from two different cultures, I see how both sides treat each other. It’s important that there is more openness for people to mix and get to know different cultures.”

On people crediting her success to her family connections: “I mean, I understand it. I come from privilege, and I recognize my privilege. But because my mom was on a TV show [Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills], people think that my whole childhood was fame. It absolutely was not. My mom was a model. She moved to the States when she was 16 to send money back to her family in Holland. My dad was a refugee and worked his way up in every way. I work hard to honor my parents.”

For more from Gigi, visit Elle.com.