Bella Hadid opens up on social anxiety and creating an ‘alter ego’ to fit in

Fashion icon Bella Hadid is sharing a glimpse  at the early days of her modelling career when she was just a teenager.

The model , 24, reflected on how she felt confused with her identity when she first began her modelling career at age 17, during her September cover story with Vogue.

“It’s like there were two Bellas — me, this person in the process of figuring out who she was, and ‘Bella Hadid’ the alter ego, who was, I dunno, a [expletive] who goes out every night?” said Bella.

“I have insane social anxiety! Partying is not my thing, but I felt enormous pressure to project that image because I assumed that’s all people wanted from me,” she went on to say.

“Now I don’t want to live in that box. I definitely feel like I’m allowed to speak,” she continued.

Apart from that, she revealed that the comparisons she had to endure with her older sister Gigi Hadid also brought up challenges for her as they both have personalities that are poles apart. She being “reserved” while her sister being “out-there and bubbly.”

“I would literally start crying and shaking if I had to do interviews at red carpet events. It was really nerve-racking and it’s scary,” said Bella.