Bella Hadid set the record straight as to why she was “struggling” to close the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
After going viral online for her slow walk at the end of Wednesday’s show, the model took to her Instagram Stories to let fans know how heavy the feathers strapped to her back were.
“I’m not going to pretend these wings weren’t 50 pounds, but how beautiful are they,” the 29-year-old wrote in a now-deleted post, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hadid first hit the VSFS catwalk in a bright red lingerie set and confidently strutted down the runway as Karol G sang to the crowd.
Keeping up her usual pace, she closed out the show in silver fringed lingerie with matching wings.
Hadid, who swapped her usual brunette hair for blonde, made it to the end of the stage before she began to struggle.
She walked more slowly, looked down at the ground, and even held on to the wing straps to better balance her weight.
She was seen hanging her head as the lights went out, although her face showed no signs of distress.
Fans shared their concerns via social media, pointing out Hadid’s recent flare-up of Lyme disease.
“She was having a hard time,” one TikTok user commented, while another added, “I thought she was going to fall.”
One netizen speculated, “Maybe she was about to die or went into survival mode.”
However, one person defended her, saying, “I think the wings were just heavy,” while another pointed out how the closing angel wings “always look crazy.”
Hadid’s return to the runway comes a month after her mother, Yolanda Hadid, posted a photo of herself in the hospital.
In one photo taken in September, Bella was seen hooked up to an IV in a hospital bed. In one scene, a skilled equestrian covered his mouth in pain.
Yolanda, 61, praised her daughter, who was diagnosed in 2013, as a “bad guy” and a “survivor.”
“No child should have an incurable chronic disease in their body. I admire your courage and drive to continue fighting for health despite failed protocols and countless setbacks.”
“I’m so proud of the fighter that you are,” the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum continued at the time. “You are not alone. I promise to support you every step of the way, no matter how long it takes.”
A week after the photo was shared on social media, Hadid was photographed walking in Paris.
