Major Controversies Surrounding Gigi Hadid: A Detailed Timeline

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Gigi Hadid.

Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid is a prominent American fashion model and television personality. Recognized as the International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council in 2016, Hadid has graced the covers of international Vogue editions over 50 times. Models.com considers her one of the "New Supers." Notably, she has consistently ranked among the highest-paid models globally since 2017, with earnings reaching $20 million.

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Full Timeline Controversies & Scandals

November 20, 2016: American Music Awards Hosting and Controversy

On November 20, 2016, Gigi Hadid hosted the American Music Awards and received backlash for an impression of Melania Trump, for which she later apologized.

2016: Incident with Vitalii Sediuk

In 2016, Gigi Hadid was lifted off the ground by Vitalii Sediuk, and she was commended for defending herself.

January 2017: Protest Against Muslim Ban

In January 2017, Gigi Hadid and her sister, Bella, protested against Executive Order 13780 in New York City.

August 2017: Vogue Cover with Zayn Malik

In August 2017, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik appeared on the cover of American Vogue.

2017: Chinese Visa Revoked

In 2017, Gigi Hadid was unable to attend the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai because her Chinese visa was reportedly revoked. This followed criticism of an online video where she made a slant-eyes gesture, considered racist by Chinese internet users.

2017: Photo posted on Instagram leads to lawsuit

In 2017, Peter Cepeda took a photo of Gigi Hadid, which she later posted on Instagram. This led to a lawsuit in September of the following year, eventually settled outside of court.

October 2018: Photo shared without permission

In October 2018, Gigi Hadid shared a photo of herself without the photographer's permission, leading to a lawsuit in January 2019.

January 2019: Lawsuit by Xclusive photo agency

In late January 2019, Gigi Hadid was sued by Xclusive, an independent photo agency, for sharing an October 2018 photo of herself without permission.

October 2021: Malik's No-Contest Plea and Sentencing

In October 2021, Zayn Malik pleaded no contest to harassment charges against Yolanda Hadid. He received 360 days of probation, anger management counseling, and domestic violence counseling. Subsequently, Gigi Hadid and Malik ended their relationship.

November 7, 2022: Deletion of Twitter Account

On November 7, 2022, Gigi Hadid deleted her Twitter account due to concerns about hate and bigotry on the platform.

July 10, 2023: Arrest in the Cayman Islands

On July 10, 2023, Gigi Hadid was arrested in the Cayman Islands for importation of drugs and drug paraphernalia. Customs discovered a small amount of marijuana and smoking utensils in her belongings. She was fined $1,000 and released after being charged with importation-related crimes.