Supermodel Gigi Hadid says she has “always had the guilt of privilege”.
The 23-year-old’s father is multimillionaire Jordanian-American property developer Mohamed Hadid and her mother is Dutch model Yolanda Foster.
Hadid was born in California and before her parents’ divorce the family lived on an exclusive estate in Malibu.
Speaking to The Times, Hadid, whose younger sister Bella is also a top model, said she has been aware of her advantages from a young age.
She said: “I’ve always had the guilt of privilege. It started in high school, and I was determined not to be defined by it, or by being pretty. I was a great volleyball player and I had great grades. That’s how I valued myself.
“It was always my parents’ money, and I was always going to get a job and live independently. I’ve paid my own bills since I was 18. My first Louboutins came from my first pay cheque.
“I think I can come from a privileged background and still be a hard worker and a nice person. I don’t think I’m better than anyone else, and I hold myself to that. I try to work with integrity.”
Hadid is one of the world’s highest-paid models and is reportedly worth 13 million dollars (£9.8 million).
She boasts 42 million followers on Instagram and nine million on Twitter, and aside from modelling she has designed jewellery, clothing and shoes.
She is rumoured to be dating former One Direction star Zayn Malik.
Hadid has just been unveiled as one of the stars of the 2019 Pirelli calendar, alongside ballet dancer Misty Copeland, French actress and model Laetitia Casta and actress Julia Garner.
