Gigi Hadid has addressed her sister Bella’s break from the spotlight amid her ongoing Lyme disease battle.
Last month, reports were quickly shut down that the supermodel was in rehab and now her sister and fellow runway star Gigi, 28, has revealed that Bella, 26, has been undergoing “intensive treatment” for her condition.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the Gigi reshared a photo of herself and Bella that she had posted last week, revealing that fans should not expect her to return to the runway anytime soon.
She wrote alongside the shot: “Just wanna touch on this post from last week.
“Bella just finished a long and intensive treatment for Lyme disease (didn’t want some to take my post as a promise she’ll be back for shows this next season).
“I’m so proud of her and excited for her comeback whenever that may be.”
In July, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Bella had been seeking daily treatment for Lyme disease, which she was diagnosed with aged 16, amid claims that she had entered a rehab facility.
The insider said: “Bella Hadid is in daily treatment for Lyme disease. Nine months ago, Bella decided she wanted to stop drinking, so she stopped.
“She has been sober for nine months and has never had an alcohol or drug problem. Bella is not in rehab.”
The supermodel has spoken publicly about having Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks that can cause symptoms such as joint and muscle pain, headaches and tiredness.
In April, she spoke candidly about her health battle on Instagram, revealing how an emergency root canal surgery caused her to have a low-grade infection while the antibiotics she was prescribed prompted her to suffer lesion-like breakouts.
Taking to her Stories, she said alongside photos of her skin: “I look sick as a dog compared to what I look like now.
“Basically, the nerve pain from my jaw ended up going down my entire meridian of my body, and to the touch, everywhere all the way down my body through all my lymph nodes.
“This pain, man. Something real different. Real different.
“You can only wonder why my face changes the way it doesn’t and this is why. End of story.
“That’s why I hate looking in the mirror or taking pictures especially lately, truly wanting to throw up at the sight of myself constantly.”
She continued: “Years and years of this. If I’m all dolled up maybe I’ll try for the girls, but man is it hard to do this as your profession while also feeling/looking sick like this.
“And if you look back at work pictures from the past eight years you can tell the difference between me when my Lyme flares up and me when I’m healthy.
“She’s a different girl. I feel so bad for my little body.”
