The mom of Gigi and Bella Hadid starred on the Bravo reality show for four seasons before the former model announced her exit from the series after season 6 back in 2016.
- Oct 12, 2022
AceShowbiz - Yolanda Hadid's stint on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" wasn't all a happy moment. In a new interview, the model and TV personality got candid about her time on the Bravo show and how it impacted her psyche and mental health.
"The first season I went on, I was diagnosed with neurological Lyme disease, and I struggled every day of the season," the mom of supermodels Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid recalled during an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Monday, October 10 after appearing at an event hosted by Project Healthy Minds at Hudson Yards in New York City in celebration of Mental Health Day.
As to why she stayed on the reality TV show, Yolanda explained, "I kind of stayed on because I thought, 'OK, I'll be better next season.' I didn't know Lyme disease was a life sentence. And now, here we are 10, 12 years, later I'm still struggling with it." She continued, "I always thought, 'Next season I'm gonna do better. Next season, I can fully understand.' So I was never [working] with a full set of brains on the show."
Yolanda noted that she feuded with some of the other cast members partly because of the disease. Reflecting on how her castmates accused her of making up her illness for attention, she shared, "Those things were very hurtful, and not just hurtful to me but hurtful to my children and my family who loves me. And they knew I was fighting for my life. So, from that perspective, it wasn't a good experience for me. And, you know, that was the taste I was left with."
Being on the Bravo show was apparently an experience that she doesn't want to have for the second time. When asked if she'd ever consider returning to "RHOBH", Yolanda replied, "No, I wouldn't. It was an experience you take on, but at this point in my life, I couldn't. I'm too sensitive. I couldn't deal with that back and forth between women. It's not my communication style or something that's good for my life."
Throwing shades at her former co-stars, the Dutch-born beauty said, "I believe I want to be a woman who is for women, about women, with women, I want us all to hold hands and support each other and get each other through the difficult times of life." She added, "I don't understand that somebody would wake up and want to hurt somebody with words or behavior."
Yolanda starred on "RHOBH" for four seasons. She first made appearance in season 3 as the ex-wife of Lisa Vanderpump's good friend, Mohamed Hadid. Announcing her exit from the series after season 6, Yolanda wrote on Instagram at the time, "I am leaving what's over without denying its past importance in my life. I believe that every exit is a new entry and with that in mind I say goodbye to my @BravoTV Family as I continue to focus on a full home."
Concluding her statement, Yolanda penned, "Thank you to all the fans for your love and unwavering support these past 4 years. I am grateful for the housewife experience and all it has [taught] me. I am excited about this choice and look forward to next chapter of my life…"
