How Bella, Yolanda and Anwar Hadid all contracted the same scary disease, according to a doctor
Bella is currently in hospital being treated for it
When you think of the Hadid family, you probably picture glamorous runways, Vogue covers, and supermodel status. But behind the glitz, Bella Hadid, her brother Anwar, and their mother Yolanda have all faced something much tougher. They’ve been living with Lyme disease.
It’s a chronic illness that doesn’t always make headlines, but it plays a huge role in the family’s lives and has done for years. And now, a doctor has shed light on how all three of them ended up with the same condition.
Bella and her family members deal with a disease
Bella Hadid has been open about how Lyme disease has affected her daily life and even her modelling career. From fatigue to brain fog and other symptoms that aren’t always visible, she’s described her health struggles as “debilitating.”
People recently saw her step away from the spotlight for months to focus on treatment and recovery, proof that even the most picture-perfect Instagram feed doesn’t show the full story.
She’s not alone, though. Yolanda Hadid has long spoken about her own battle with Lyme. She even documented parts of her journey during her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills days. At the time, her openness helped put the disease in the public eye, showing just how life-altering it can be.
Anwar Hadid, Bella’s younger brother, also revealed that he’s been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Although he’s not as vocal about his health struggles as Bella and Yolanda, he’s confirmed that he deals with the same illness, making it something the three of them share beyond family ties and fame.
How did all three contract Lyme disease?
So how does one family all end up with Lyme disease? According to a doctor, the answer isn’t as wild as you might think. Lyme is spread through the bite of infected black-legged ticks, which can often be found in grassy or wooded areas. If you’re outdoorsy or even just unlucky, the risk of exposure is there.
Dr Raphael Kellman told People: “It’s not uncommon that a few members of a family have Lyme disease. … But it’s not genetic, it’s because they share the same environment.”
While the idea of an entire family battling the same tick-borne disease sounds alarming, it highlights just how easily Lyme can impact anyone, even household names like the Hadids.
Dr Kellman also explained how gut bacteria and thyroid issues at play: “A major cause could be imbalances in the billions of gut bacteria that we call the microbiome, those bacteria that are inside of our gut that outnumber us 10 to one and keep us healthy.
“It’s not uncommon for the microbiome to be unhealthy, and if the microbiome is unhealthy in one member of the family, it’s likely that it’s unhealthy in another member of the family. Each home has its own particular microbiome. … We tend to eat the same foods as other members of the family and experience similar stressors, which all contributes to changes in the microbiome.
“Low thyroid occurs due to factors like immunological issues, gut issues, microbiome imbalances, environmental toxins. However, there’s also a genetic susceptibility as well, so perhaps a few members of the family also have low thyroid that maybe wasn’t picked up…”
These days, Bella is continuing her journey with recovery, Yolanda remains outspoken about raising awareness, and Anwar keeps things more low-key. But together, their experiences have shone a spotlight on a condition that many people still don’t fully understand.
For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates – like Reality Shrine on Facebook.