Gigi Hadid is all set to walk the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, China in November. Following the announcement, an old video showing her mimicking Buddha surfaced online, angering her Chinese fans.
In the clip posted by Bella Hadid, Zayn Malik's girlfriend is seen holding up a Buddha shaped figure, and imitating the religious figure by squinting her eyes. After the video went viral, Gigi cleared her side by sending a direct message to a fan.
this is y'all woke palestine queen? Gigi out here mocking Asian people. i would say she's cancelled but she never started. rat @GiGiHadid pic.twitter.com/b6wj5k1sXE
— . (@hvrrystime) February 5, 2017
She wrote: "The photo that was taken from the video was taken out of context and attached to a headline to make it something that it definitely wasn't."
"It saddens me that people were hurt because someone else created a story line of what happened there.. and that it will somewhat stick around because it's on the internet but all I can do to prove myself is to show people who I am. I spent time in China right before and had a great time, and I show & have nothing but appreciation and respect to my Asian fans! I hope people can judge me from their own experience of me and realize that others can twist anything on social media to make a scenario where there really wasn't one."
"I can't wait to be back and spread love and let anyone who's skeptical see me for me," she concluded.
Gigi Hadid's personal letter explaining her previous discrimination against asians was because she was coming to China for a show pic.twitter.com/xIuh3vKVQT
— Harry (@xoxoMrQiQi) August 30, 2017
Meanwhile, the annual runway show is set to air on November 28 on CBS. Victoria's Secret Angels Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, Jasmine Tookes, Josephine Skriver, Lais Ribeiro, Martha Hunt, Romee Strijd, Sara Sampaio, Stella Maxwelland Taylor Hill, will all be walking the runway.
