Bella Hadid is one of the most successful and recognizable supermodels today. She and her sister Gigi Hadid have graced magazine covers and walked runways for prominent designers like Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, and Marc Jacobs. The siblings represent luxury brands and travel the world with their beautiful friends and wealthy family.
Bella’s career might be thriving now, but she’s come a long way. In 2014, she was arrested for driving under the influence. The DUI incident was captured from her mom Yolanda Hadid’s perspective on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Both Yolanda and Bella have Lyme disease, and their illness was connected to the scandal in a surprising way.
Bella Hadid’s 2014 DUI arrest
On July 22, 2014, an LA County sheriff arrested Bella in the early hours of the morning after she reportedly drove past a stop sign and nearly collided with his patrol car, according to Bustle. Following the incident, the police gave the 17-year-old a breathalyzer test, which she failed. Bella allegedly blew a .14 — nearly twice California’s legal drinking limit.
To make matters worse, the aspiring model was underage. Not only did Bella have a large amount of alcohol in her system, but it was also illegal for her to have access to it. David Foster, Bella’s stepdad, picked her up when the police released her. Although the scandal wasn’t a major one, the excuse she gave post-arrest upset many people.
Bella blamed her diagnosis of Lyme disease for her reckless driving. However, many fans did not buy the excuse, failing to see the connection between the tick-borne illness and underage drinking. Some pointed out that Lyme disease wouldn’t cause a false positive on a BAC test.
At the time, rumors also swirled that Bella never had Lyme disease in the first place. As fans pointed out, her father Mohamed Hadid stated that his children, Anwar and Bella, had never had Lyme disease. However, sources close to the family clarified that the Jordanian-American real estate developer said his children were “fine,” not that they’d never received a diagnosis.
Bella’s mother, Yolanda Hadid, wasn’t happy about her DUI
The issue garnered media attention because Bella’s mother, Yolanda, was a central cast member on the hit Bravo reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The news broke as she and other cast members filmed a vacation in Majorca, Spain. Yolanda expressed her disappointment in Bella. She was also upset because her father died in a car accident when she was seven years old. She felt her daughter knew better.
In a Bravo blog about the incident, Yolanda disclosed that she took Bella’s phone away as a consequence. The 17-year-old had to pay for her own lawyer bills from her savings. The court suspended Bella’s license for a year and gave her six months of probation. Bella had to sell her car, complete 25 hours of community service, and attend 20 hours of AA meetings.
Yolanda reiterated that Bella learned from her mistake. Now a supermodel, the 25-year-old has come a long way. As one of the highest-paid models in the world, she made some changes in her life.
Bella Hadid reveals she no longer drinks alcohol
Bella revealed that she started cutting back on alcohol in 2021, citing the beverage’s adverse effects on her body. She admitted that she loved alcohol. However, Bella said, “It got to the point where even I started to, you know, cancel nights out that I felt like I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”
Bella said she hated having “horrible anxiety” after drinking. The supermodel’s decision to quit alcohol also came after her doctor showed scans of her brain. This helped her understand how alcohol affects her brain.
Since quitting alcohol, Bella has co-founded Kin Euphorics, which produces booze-free beverages containing a blend of botanicals, adaptogens, and nootropics.
RELATED: Bella Hadid Opens Up About Mental Health, Says She Has Had ‘Breakdowns and Burnouts’