Gigi Hadid has seemingly spoken out after she was arrested for possession of cannabis while vacationing in the Cayman Islands.
The supermodel, 28, was arrested at Owen Roberts International Airport on 10 July, after arriving in the Cayman Islands with a friend via private plane, according to E! News.
According to local outlet Cayman Marl Road, Hadid and her friend were arrested for “suspicion importation of ganja and importation of utensils used for the consumption of ganja” after customs officials allegedly found “ganja and utensils used for the consumption of ganja” in their luggage.
Hadid and her friend were then taken to the Royal Cayman Islands Detention Center, where they were later released on bail, the outlet stated, while noting that the “quantities were relatively small and were seemingly for personal consumption”.
According to the local news outlet, the model and her friend appeared in court on 12 July, where they were formally charged and pleaded guilty. They were both fined $1,000, and are not facing any charges, Cayman Marl Road reported.
In a statement to E News! a representative for Hadid said she had been “travelling with marijuana purchased legally in New York City with a medical license” when the incident took place.
“Gigi was travelling with marijuana purchased legally in New York City with a medical license,” her representative said. ”It has also been legal for medical use in Grand Cayman since 2017. Her record remains clear and she enjoyed the rest of her time on the island.”
The Independent has contacted a representative for Hadid and Cayman Islands authorities for comment.
On Monday 18 July, Hadid appeared to subtly address the incident on Instagram, where she shared an album of photos and videos seemingly taken during her vacation along with the caption: “All’s well that ends well.”
In one video, Hadid and a friend could be seen sitting in sun loungers while facing the ocean, with the supermodel seen turning around to smile at the camera. In another picture included in the album, Hadid showed the contents of her purse, which included various pieces of colourful jewellery.
The post comes after she recently shared additional Instagram photos that appeared to have been taken on her vacation. In an album posted last week, the model could be seen posing in a bikini while sitting on a sun lounger and showing off what appeared to be a tattoo of a dragon near her thigh. “Mornin!” Hadid captioned the photos, along with a dragon emoji.
Hadid also posted a photo from her vacation to her Instagram Stories on 18 July, in which she and two friends could be seen posing for a mirror selfie.
According to the National Drug Council Cayman Islands, “consumption of recreational cannabis is prohibited/illegal in any form”. However, the NDC notes that lawmakers in the Cayman Islands “amended the misuse of drug laws to allow for the medicinal use of cannabis oil”.
