Gigi Hadid Responds to Media Coverage of Milan Attack: I Was Pissed
Maybe more damaging to Gigi Hadid than being sought on in a street of crowded people, grabbed by a complete stranger and hurled into the air has been some media outlets' response to her defense against her assailant.
On September 22, while leaving a Max Mara showcase at Milan Fashion Week, Hadid was manhandled by an assailant named Vitalii Sediuk and reflexively elbowed him in the face to free herself. Many rightfully saw the move as self-defense against a physical threat, but others, like writer Ellie Henman, criticized Hadid with a gimmicky "Not Model Behavior" headline. As far as Hadid's concerned, there was nothing wrong with what she did — what if the guy hadn't been a self-described "prankster," and what if his intentions were more devious?
"That's when I really got pissed," Hadid told Lena Dunham as part of Dunham's latest Lenny Letter. "First of all, it was a woman who wrote the story with that headline. What would you tell your daughter to do? If my behavior isn't model behavior, then what is? What would you have told your daughter to do in that situation?"
"Honestly, I felt I was in danger, and I had every right to react the way I did," she added. "If anything, I want girls to see the video and know that they have the right to fight back, too, if put in a similar situation. Practicing self-defense is important so that when you're in the moment, reacting from muscle memory comes more naturally to you than freezing up. Confidence in your own ability to defend yourself comes with educating yourself about it, and is a massive advantage when in an unsafe situation."
Read Dunham's and Hadid's full exchange, and share your thoughts in the comments.
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