Bella Hadid is part of a new generation of supermodels taking the world by storm. Bella, who was famously prohibited from walking the runway when she was only partially vaccinated, certainly comes from the right stock for a career in modeling: she’s the daughter of former model Yolanda Hadid and the sister of fellow models Gigi and Anwar Hadid.
To the outside world, Bella’s life of runways, red carpets, photoshoots, and A-list events looks glamorous and exciting. But she has never been afraid of giving her fans a dose of reality by revealing the darker sides of modeling.
Bella walked in Victoria’s Secret shows between 2016 and 2018, reaching a goal that most aspiring models only dream of. But she left the brand behind for more than two years. Read on to find out why Bella Hadid quit Victoria’s Secret, and why she came back.
Why Did Bella Hadid Quit Victoria’s Secret?
In 2018, the iconic Victoria’s Secret runway shows came to a sudden halt. Once setting the standard of beauty for women all over the world, the show was no longer culturally relevant in a society that moved to embrace bodies of all shapes and sizes.
Bella Hadid walked in the show for three years, between 2016 and 2018. But had the shows not stopped in 2018, it’s possible that the California-born model would have chosen not to return for another year at Victoria’s Secret anyway.
In 2020, Bella came forward to open up about harassment and inappropriate conduct by a former executive at the parent company of Victoria’s Secrets, L Brands. Ed Razek, the former top executive, denied accusations that he harassed Bella and a slew of other models. But he has since stepped down from L Brands.
Besides the alleged harassment, Bella also told Marie Claire that Victoria’s Secret affected her view of her own body. She agreed with the publication that the shows instilled “toxic views about femininity.”
“I look at my body now as a temple,” Bella said in her interview, which was done after she stopped walking in Victoria’s Secret shows. “Before, it kind of got to the point where my body wasn’t owned by me.”
"My life for so many years revolved around only working and ... how I was going to lose that weight for one of those shows," the model went on. "Now, I just am who I am. And I don't need to change for anybody else — even when I see things online about people talking about my body or the way it fluctuates or this or that."
After the damage done by the intense pressure of being in the shows, Bella turned to therapy and learned not ti put her "worth in anyone else's hand" except for her own.
In 2021, it was announced that Victoria’s Secret runway shows would be returning, but they would not feature angels in the same way that they had before.
When And Why Did Bella Hadid Collaborate With Victoria’s Secret Again?
It was also announced in 2021 that Bella would be collaborating with the fashion brand again. However, this time Bella would be on board as a brand ambassador AKA a VS Collective.
Despite her negative experience the first time, she believes that the brand has changed dramatically. It has since revealed a new direction with aims to champion diversity and female empowerment.
“What magnetized me to coming back was them coming to me and really proving to me that, behind the scenes, Victoria's Secret has changed so drastically,” she told Marie Claire.
“There was a type of way that, I think, a lot of us women who used to work with Victoria's Secret felt. And now, six of the seven [VS] board members are all female,” Bella continued. “And there's new photoshoot protocols that we have. So a lot has changed. I feel like the world really deserves a brand like Victoria's Secret and to also feel represented by it as well.”
How Much Did Victoria’s Secret Angels Make?
Before the original Victoria’s Secret runway shows stopped, they were among the most in-demand opportunities for models from all over the world. In addition to the iconic status of the brand, walking in the runway shows also paid extremely well.
Victoria’s Secret angels were making anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million per year. However, the more experienced and famous angels were earning considerably more.
Giselle Bundchen, the highest-paid angel in history, now has an estimated net worth of $386 million. She was making millions per year as a Victoria’s Secret angel, raking in $44 million in 2015 alone.
Other senior angels who were making more than $1 million a year include Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Karlie Kloss, and Candice Swanepoel.
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