Bella Hadid recalls going through ‘emotional strain’ amid Lyme disease battle:‘ You feel disposable’

Recently, Bella Hadid opened up about what it’s really like to be a supermodel fighting Lyme disease and what happens when you step away from the fashion world, even for a little while. After nearly a year off modeling to focus on her health, she admitted she started to feel “disposable.

” The industry moves fast. Step aside, and it’s easy to wonder if anyone even notices you’re gone.

Bella Hadid’s on her Lyme disease battle

In a new Vogue Italia interview with her sister, Gigi Hadid, Bella, now 29, told her that getting the treatment for Lyme disease meant she had to say “no” to every job for almost an entire year. That was tough. She described the emotional hit, feeling like she wasn’t needed anymore.“I was emotional because you feel disposable,” she told Gigi. But taking that break shifted something in her. She realized her value isn’t tied to saying yes to every job. “How good I am doesn't have to do with the jobs that I say yes to. For so long, saying no to a job was, like, who was I to say no to anything?”However, Bella revealed that she eventually let go of that fear.

“I had to kind of release it and be like, ‘I think people know my heart and my personality and who I am enough now that I can release that and really do the jobs that are with and for the people that I love and trust and support and respect.’”Bella also gave Gigi credit for teaching her something important: real boundaries matter. “It's so important, not only advocating for yourself, but for your friends and people around you,” she said.

For Bella, one of the best parts of work now is seeing her friends inspired and happy on set.Her mindset shift didn’t just bring her peace; it opened new doors. Bella is now in Ryan Murphy’s new project, ‘The Beauty’. That role pushed her way out of her comfort zone and forced her to let go of perfection. “He made me go really outside of my comfort zone which made me have to release that control again, the control to look good or to do things perfectly.”

Bella, in fact, shared that she actually used her pain and struggles in her performance.

“I was able to really manifest that in my body and put it into the art and to the work,” she said. “That, for me, was really fulfilling to be able to express myself in that way.”

What is Lyme disease?

In case you’re not familiar with Lyme disease, as per the Cleveland Clinic, it comes from bacteria spread by tick bites. At first, it can feel like the flu, with fever, exhaustion, headaches, and even a weird bull’s-eye rash.

If it’s not treated, things get serious: joint pain, heart issues, brain fog, and crushing fatigue. Most people recover with antibiotics if they catch it early, but some keep dealing with symptoms for years.

That can affect their daily lives, work, relationships, and more.

Bella Hadid’s journey with Lyme disease

Per People, Bella got her diagnosis of Lyme disease at 16. She’s spent her entire modeling career, about 13 years, battling symptoms and trying different treatments. The supermodel has always been honest about it, posting updates and even hospital photos on social media, apologizing when she disappeared for a while. Her mom, Yolanda Hadid, has always called her a “badass warrior.” Bella’s taken long breaks, including one in 2022, just to focus on getting better.

But she always came back, hitting big fashion shows in 2024 and 2025.