HEALTHBella Hadid Details Painful Chronic Illness Battle After Confessing She Diagnosed Herself With '12 Other Things'
Bella Hadid candidly opened up about the emotional and physical toll of her chronic illness.
June 26 2026, Updated 10:26 a.m. ET
Bella Hadid, or Isabella Khair Hadid, is opening up after enduring another painful Lyme disease flare-up.
Hadid admitted, "diagnosed myself with 12 other things, so that's good."
The supermodel opened up in a series of Instagram Stories on Thursday, after revealing she was struggling with severe exhaustion, brain fog, and constant pain.
She added, "Took every protocol from any and every doctor I've seen. Still nothing helping."
Hadid said the latest flare-up has left her physically and emotionally drained.
Bella Hadid Details Brutal Lyme Disease Flare-Up
Bella Hadid shared a candid update about her latest Lyme disease flare-up.
The Orebella founder shared a lengthy message on her IG Stories, explaining how hard it is for people to understand chronic illness if they've never experienced it.
"You demand answers that no one can find," Hadid wrote.
She said symptoms, including pain, brain fog, anxiety, and recurring infections, often spiral into "severe isolation and depression," especially when they continue for long periods.
She added, "You fight. You finally have a few good days. You think you've found the right protocol, the right routine, the right treatment... and then a flare up comes back and all of a sudden nothing feels certain again."
Bella Hadid reminded fans battling chronic illness that they are loved and hold on hope.
That unpredictability also forces her to cancel plans because she never knows how she will feel when she wakes up.
"You wake up with anxiety already living in your body," Hadid shared. "Physical pain before your feet even touch the floor....And somehow, still have to find the strength to move through another day in a body and mind that are completely exhausted," she further said.
Despite those struggles, the runway star encouraged her followers facing similar battles to hold onto hope.
"Healing isn't linear," she wrote, adding that she believes every hardship carries a deeper purpose and eventually leads to greater compassion and strength.
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Bella Hadid Reveals She Slept 11 Hours but Still Couldn't Shake Symptoms
Bella Hadid said showering without fainting felt like a major accomplishment.
Hadid also shared a tearful selfie, revealing the flare-up hadn't eased despite following her doctors' advice. She said she still couldn't "shake off" the illness, even after sleeping 11 hours and taking naps.
She said she became "out of breath walking to the kitchen" and joked that her "last two" brain cells were "beefing with each other" because of overwhelming brain fog.
Even taking a shower felt like a major milestone.
"I took a shower without fainting tho... so again, if you know you know... that felt like a really big accomplishment for me today," the 29-year-old shared.
Bella Hadid Says Small Victories Help Her Keep Going
Bella Hadid thanked her friends and the Orebella team for helping her through difficult days.
Hadid ended her posts on a lighter note, smiling in a cozy Star Wars-themed robe.
She joked, "Although this Barefoot Dreams kids poncho does make everything a li better."
The supermodel expressed her gratitude by sharing and reposting her friends' stories that promoted her fragrance line, Orebella, and by acknowledging her team for their support of the brand.
"It makes me emotional....," she mentioned in part. "Thank you to my tribe for keeping me afloat."
She wrapped up her posts by reminding others living with chronic illness that they are not alone.
Hadid wrote, "You are loved. You are needed. Your life has purpose. And you will make it through every season life puts you through...love you and hold you deeply."
