Gigi Hadid breaks silence on being mentioned in Epstein files: ‘I grew up privileged…’

Supermodel Gigi Hadid has spoken publicly for the first time about being named in documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, saying the reference left her feeling “sick to my stomach”.30-year-old Hadid addressed the issue after a social media user held her accountable for not commenting sooner. In response, she said she had never met Epstein, describing him as “the monster”, and made clear she had no connection to him.Her name, along with that of her sister Bella Hadid, appeared in a 2015 email exchange between Epstein and an unidentified individual whose identity was redacted by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). In the email message, the individual questioned how the sisters had “become models and make so much money” and suggested their father, Mohamed Hadid, may have “paid” their modelling agency.Epstein dismissed the suggestion, replying “no”, but later agreed with a crude remark made by the sender about models.Reacting to the resurfaced exchange, Hadid said, “Horrible to read someone you’ve never met speak about you that way. Especially in this context.” She added that she had stayed silent initially because she did not “want to take away from the stories of real victims of his”.Hadid wrote, “I grew up privileged, yes,” but said that her parents had a strong work ethic. She explained that her mother, Yolanda Hadid, took her to modelling agency meetings in New York, including agencies she had once worked with. Hadid later signed with IMG Models in 2012, noting that it had no connection to her mother.“I’ve worked hard every moment since,” she said. Gigi added, “To be named in those files, I think I was 20-21 at the time he would have written that email is disturbing, and I want to state unequivocally that I have never had any affiliation with that disgusting human being.”Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.Hadid concluded her response, saying: “May he (Epstein) rest in…” followed by fire emojis.Hadid shares a daughter with Zayn Malik and has been in a relationship with Bradley Cooper since 2023.The infamous files include the names of several high-profile figures. Bill Gates and Bill Clinton have previously acknowledged contact with Epstein.