Gigi and Bella Hadid’s recently discovered half-sister, Aydan Nix, is opening up about her growing bond with the supermodels.
Gigi, 30, and Bella, 29, announced in May that they have a 23-year-old half-sister, born of a brief relationship their father, Mohamed Hadid, had over 20 years ago with Terri Hatfield Dull.
In addition to Aydan, Mohamed shares Gigi, Bella and son Anwar, 26, with ex-wife Yolanda Hadid. He also has two daughters — Marielle, 45, and Alana, 40 — with first wife Mary Butler.
In an essay for The Cut published on Tuesday, December 30, Aydan reflected on how her life has changed since Gigi and Bella revealed her existence and how she and her siblings are getting to know each other.
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“My sisters (along with the rest of the family) have been nothing but warm and generous. They have made space for me in ways they didn’t have to,” Aydan wrote.
Aydan shared how “Anwar called me his baby sister the first time we ever spoke on the phone,” and “Bella calls me her twin.” She added, “My mom couldn’t even tell our voices apart when we first spoke to her on the phone.”
Her siblings have also helped her learn more about her Palestinian heritage. “Alana sent me resources and inspired me to become active in the fight for Palestine’s freedom,” she wrote. “I watched Anwar’s film Walled Off. Gigi took me for my first Palestinian meal and taught me the names of different dishes.”
Aydan said that Gigi has also helped her get her foot in the door of the fashion industry after she graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York earlier this year.
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“Gigi introduced me to her friend Gabriella Karefa Johnson, whom I had admired not only for her styling but for her strong convictions and values,” she wrote. “I started assisting her when times were especially busy. My first day on set was a Victoria’s Secret campaign. I worked 17 hours that day. I was exhausted, but I had never in my life felt more fulfilled. I felt like I had finally found the thing that I was supposed to do.”
Despite her burgeoning relationships with her five siblings, Aydan admitted to feeling “insecurity” about not growing up around them. “No sleepovers, no shared holidays, no borrowing clothes, no inside jokes, no stories woven together,” she explained. “They had a lifetime of memories, and I felt like the odd one out.”
Aydan also reflected on the newfound attention she has received since Gigi and Bella broke the news of their half-sister in May.
“Overnight, anyone, from anywhere in the world, could weigh in on my face, my body, my family, my worth,” Aydan wrote of her sudden public profile. “They had access to tell me exactly which alterations they thought I should (or shouldn’t) make to my appearance.”
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According to Aydan, people “expected my life to change and become glamorous, jet-setting around, with an endless bank account,” but her life hasn’t changed much. She said she still works as a freelance wardrobe stylist and as a part-time cashier at a vintage store in New York’s East Village.
Gigi and Bella revealed how they first discovered their new sibling in a statement issued to the Daily Mail in May.
“Over 20 years ago, our dad, while single, had a brief relationship that led to a pregnancy,” they said. “Aydan was born and raised in Florida, growing up with the man she lovingly knew as her father until his sudden passing when she was 19. After his passing, she decided to take a genetic test out of curiosity, and that’s how she discovered a biological connection to us.”
The statement continued, “We first connected in late 2023, and from that moment on, we’ve embraced Aydan with open arms. She’s spent time with all of us, including our dad, and we’ve cherished this unexpected and beautiful addition to our family.”
