Gigi Hadid felt she was in danger when a man grabbed her and tried to pick her up while leaving a fashion show in Milan with her sister Bella last Thursday.
Gigi acted on instincts, throwing an elbow at the stranger’s face and chasing him off down the street.
Gigi and Bella leave a fashion show in Milan (Photo credit: Splash News)
The 21-year-old model said she’s never been in a situation where she was forced to fight back. Gigi started boxing two years ago and says her quick reaction of self-defense was mostly instinctual.
“It just came out when he grabbed me — it wasn’t a choice,” Hadid told People. “I do have that fighter in me.”
“I remember taking the time, as it all felt slo-mo, to look at him, a stranger, and my first reaction was: ‘Get me out of this situation,'” Gigi explained. “Honestly, I felt I was in danger, and I had every right to react the way I did.” (RELATED: Gigi Hadid Fights Off Stranger Who Tried To Manhandle Her In Milan)
Videos and pictures of the incident quickly spread around the internet, with most people reacting in support of Hadid for defending herself. Some early reports cast Gigi as an angry model lashing out at a fan and that’s when Gigi “really got pissed,” according to People.
“First of all, it was a woman who wrote the story with that headline,” Hadid pointed out. “What would you tell your daughter to do? If my behavior isn’t model behavior, then what is? What would you have told your daughter to do in that situation?”
“If anything, I want girls to see the video and know that they have the right to fight back, too, if put in a similar situation,” Gigi continued. “Practicing self-defense is important so that when you’re in the moment, reacting from muscle memory comes more naturally to you than freezing up.”
“My mom has taught me the power of my instincts since I was a kid. She’d always be like, ‘OK. Pay attention to the people who make you feel uncomfortable. I want you to tap into that and be aware of it.'”
Hadid claims she uses that intuition in the fashion industry. “It usually guides me pretty well,” she said. “I think it guided me in this situation, too.” (RELATED: Boxing Has Become Supermodels’ Favorite Workout Plan)
Although many fans have cast Gigi as a hero, she doesn’t see it that way.
“It was just what I had to do. It’s very touching to me that people see it that way. I know people are put in much worse situations every day and don’t have the cameras around that provoke social-media support. I just want to use what happened to me to show that it’s everyone’s right, and it can be empowering, to be able to defend yourself.”
Gigi and Bella Hadid in Milan, Italy (Photo credit: Splash News)