Bella Hadid cries in Instagram post about her struggles with anxiety and millions of fans show support – a clear case of celebrity worship. Experts weigh in on a modern obsession
- Model Bella Hadid is one of many stars detailing their mental health struggles on social media. She shared her thoughts on a post featuring singer Willow Smith
- Her post received millions of likes, countless comments and an outpouring of support from fans in an example of how social media cultivates celebrity worship
When musician Willow Smith said in a recent video that she doesn’t feel “good enough” sometimes, it was something American supermodel Bella Hadid felt she could relate strongly to.
Hadid shared part of the video and a series of make-up-free, crying selfies on Instagram, telling her 47 million followers that “social media isn’t real” and detailing her struggles with anxiety.
The 25-year-old wrote: “This is pretty much my everyday [sic], every night for a few years now … sometimes all you’ve gotta hear is that you’re not alone … self help and mental illness/chemical imbalance is [sic] not linear and it is almost like a flowing roller coaster of obstacles …”
Her post received millions of likes and comments from followers expressing their support – among them, her sister and fellow model Gigi, who simply wrote “I love you”, and Smith herself, who said “Your honesty and tenderness heals [sic] so many”. Before comments on the post were restricted, Hadid expressed her gratitude to everyone for making her feel better.