All about Gigi and Bella Hadid’s parents, Yolanda and Mohamed Hadid

Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid have supermodel roots.

Their mother, Yolanda Hadid, a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum and former model, married her father, Mohamed Hadid, a real estate developer, in 1994. The couple welcomed Gigi (née Jelena) in Los Angeles in 1995, followed by Bella in 1996 and son Anwar in 1999. After their separation, Yolanda raised her three children in Santa Barbara, California. Mohammed in 2000.

When Gigi won Glamor magazine’s 2017 Woman of the Year award, she got emotional during her acceptance speech and opened up about her parents’ role in her success.

“My father was a refugee from Palestine and my mother was just a Dutch farmer’s daughter, and they work hard to make their dreams come true,” she said. “I hope you know that I respect you for your work ethic and that I am so grateful for the life you have given me and for never making excuses for my privilege.”

From supporting their careers to becoming grandparents, here’s everything you need to know about Gigi and Bella Hadid’s parents, Yolanda and Mohamed Hadid.

Both were born outside the United States.

Mohamed was born in Nazareth, Israel in 1948, and Yolanda was born in the Netherlands in 1964. The two married in 1994 but divorced in 2000.

Mohammed and his family fled to Syria and immigrated to the United States when he was a teenager. He competed in speed skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics, Bravo said. He represented Jordan and was the only player on the country’s team. He currently works for a luxury real estate development company.

Meanwhile, Yolanda was scouted and signed with Ford Models at the age of 16, continuing her career into the 1990s and paving the way for her daughter’s modeling career.

Yolanda became even more famous in 2012 when she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where Mohamed made several guest appearances. Yolanda appeared on the reality series for four seasons before exiting in 2016. He then hosted one season of the show “Making a Model” with Yolanda Hadid.

they welcomed three children together

Yolanda and Mohamed had three children together: Gigi in 1995, Bella in 1996, and Anwar in 1999. Mohamed also has two children, daughters Alana, Mariel and Aidan, from another relationship.

“Being a mother is the privilege and greatest blessing in my life. Thank you Gigi, Bella and Anwar for teaching me the true meaning of unconditional love and igniting the deepest part of my soul,” Yolanda wrote on Instagram in May 2019.

In 2021, Bella shared a Father’s Day post on Instagram, writing, “You make me laugh more than anyone else in the world. I’m crying as I write this because I wish I could give you the best hugs and kisses today!! I miss you and love you to the moon.”

Yolanda didn’t let her children model full-time until they were 18 years old

Gigi and Bella are world-famous models, but that wasn’t always the case. Gigi modeled for Baby Guess as a child, participating in home fashion shows in her mother’s closet with Bella, but Yolanda didn’t let Gigi work as a full-time model until she was 18.

Yolanda told Vogue in March 2021, “I didn’t want them to have that life until they kind of understood who they were as people and as women.”

“I’m very strict about that,” Yolanda told PEOPLE in January 2018. “When Gigi was 16, I remember saying, ‘This isn’t fair!'” But now she hugs me and says, “Thank you for giving me two more years to grow up, wear flip-flops, and play basketball.” Being a model is a tough job. It’s not for the weak. ”

Gigi and Bella supported Yolanda when she was diagnosed with Lyme disease

Yolanda has opened up about her Lyme disease diagnosis on stage, on television, on social media, and in her 2017 book, Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease.

Gigi wrote on Instagram in April 2017, “I’m so proud of my mom for sharing her story and excited for all the people this book will help!”

Gigi was just a teenager when her mother became ill, but she was a huge support to her. “She was brave, she was strong, and her support was endless,” Yolanda told Glamor magazine in 2017. She is the only one of her siblings not affected by Lyme disease.

In October 2015, Gigi presented her mother with the Power of One Award at the Global Lyme Alliance Gala.

“The Global Lyme Alliance is hope, and tonight we honor the person who is more hope for Lyme disease awareness than anyone I know: my mother,” Gigi said in an emotional speech. “Thank you for your fight, your passion, and how your journey helped so many people.”

“I’m so proud to bestow this award on you. I love you,” she added.

Gigi and Bella love their father’s cooking

The supermodel sisters have been vocal about Mohamed’s culinary talents. According to Gigi, her father is “one of my favorite chefs in the world” and Bella’s “dream” is for him to open a restaurant.

Gigi dedicated her June 2020 appearance on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay to her father. In this episode, she helped Flay make falafel, a classic Middle Eastern dish.

“I used to go to this restaurant and make falafel in the back with my dad,” she told Flay after Flay pointed out that she had apparently done that before.

Mohamed contributed to a cookbook titled Craving Palestine and launched a caviar brand called Hadid.

Yolanda and Mohamed are proud of their children on and off the runway

The former couple have shown support for their daughters at various runway shows, including the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Paris.

But apart from their careers, they express pride in their characters. “It’s a superficial job. At the end of the day, looks come and go. And what makes me most proud of my kids, even more than their success, is that they’re polite and respectful,” Yolanda told PEOPLE in January 2018.

They love being grandparents to Gigi’s daughter Kai

Just before Gigi gave birth to Kai in September 2020, Mohamed dedicated a message to her “little grandson” and wrote a poem titled “Grandpa’s Heart.”

“Hello little grandson, it’s me. My heart is so happy,” he wrote. “I wish you the sun and the moon. I hope you have a happy time. Please know that Grandpa will always be here, I would do anything for you, anything.”

“When I heard you were on your way, I smiled and wiped away my tears,” Mohamed added. “I cried because I knew my heart would always belong to you.”

In May 2021, Gigi posted on Instagram on Mother’s Day, writing that Yolanda is “the best mom we could ask for.” Oma means “grandmother” in Dutch.

Now that Gigi has become a mother, Yolanda has been able to see her oldest daughter in a new light.

“I’ve always been so proud of this young woman you’ve grown into at every stage of your life, but watching you give birth and become a mother gave the word ‘proud’ a whole new meaning…” Yolanda wrote on Instagram in April 2021.