American-Palestinian model Bella Hadid is one of the most outspoken celebrities to highlight Israel's ongoing atrocities in Palestine. Hadid has stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people at many pro-Palestine protests and has been vocal about the cause on Instagram, which has unfortunately resulted in professional setbacks for her.
Now in a recent interview with GQ magazine, the actor has opened up about losing her job as a model to continue her advocacy for Palestine and her regret about not being allowed to grow up in a "Muslim culture".
Hadid reflected on growing up in California and feeling disconnected from her Palestinian roots following her parents' divorce in 2000.
She spent her early years in Washington DC, surrounded by her Palestinian family before she moved to California. Growing up in Santa Barbara, Hadid said she was "never able to see myself in anything".
"For so long I was missing that part of me, and it made me really, really sad and lonely," Hadid said.
"I would have loved to grow up and be with my dad every day and studying and really being able to practice, just in general being able to live in Muslim culture. But I wasn't given that.
"I speak about [Palestine] for the elderly that are still living there that have never been able to see Palestine free, and for the children that can still grow up and have a beautiful life."
She said: "I had so many companies that stopped working with me."
She even shared how many friends 'dropped' her instantly after voicing her grievances for the war-torn country.
However, despite the public backlash to her advocacy, Bella explained: "I know my family enough, I know my own history enough. And that should be enough."
The 25-year-old, who has worked with major fashion houses across the globe, added that she has realized that she is "not on this earth to be a model".
"I realized that I'm not on this earth to be a model," she said. "I'm so lucky and blessed that I'm in a position where I can speak out the way that I do. And really, the downfall is what? That I lose my job?"
Hadid's comments come just days after her appearance on the Rep podcast, in which she disclosed that she has already lost modeling opportunities because of her views.
"I had friends that completely dropped me, like even friends that I had been having dinner with at their home on Friday nights for seven years like now just won't let me at their house anymore."