Supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid are opening up about discovering that they have a half-sister.
The models said that their sibling, Aydan Nix, 23, was born of a brief relationship between their father, Mohamed Hadid, and a woman named Terri Hatfield Dull following Mohamed’s divorce from their mother, Yolanda Hadid, in 2001.
“Over 20 years ago, our dad, while single, had a brief relationship that led to a pregnancy,” Gigi, 30, and Bella, 28, told the Daily Mail in a statement on Thursday, May 29.
According to the sisters, Aydan was “born and raised in Florida, growing up with the man she lovingly knew as her father until his sudden passing when she was 19.” Following her father’s death, Aydan “decided to take a genetic test out of curiosity” and discovered her “biological connection” to Gigi and Bella.
The half-siblings “first connected in late 2023” and the Hadids have since “embraced Aydan with open arms,” the statement said. (Us Weekly has reached out to Gigi and Bella’s representatives for further comment.)
In addition to Gigi and Bella, Mohamed, 76, shares a son, Anwar, 25, with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Yolanda. He also shares two daughters, Marielle, 44, and Alana, 39, with his first wife, Mary Butler.
Scroll down to learn about Aydan:
She lives in New York City
The Hadid sisters’ statement noted that Aydan and her family “value their privacy” and asked the public to “honor her wish and right to her anonymity as she continues her life as a young woman in New York.”
She’s originally from Orlando, Florida
According to the Daily Mail, Aydan was a cheerleader and honors student in her native Orlando, where her mom, Terri, works as a mortgage loan expert. While a student, Aydan worked a summer job at Domino’s Pizza.
She recently graduated from Parsons School of Design
Like her sisters, Aydan appears to have her sights set on the fashion industry. She recently graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York.
Earlier this month, Aydan shared snaps from her graduation, which show her sporting a red gown and traditional graduation cap, via her public Instagram. “WTF………. post grad ……..,” she captioned the post.
She is getting to know her family
Gigi and Bella told the Daily Mail that Aydan has “spent time with all of us, including our dad, and we’ve cherished this unexpected and beautiful addition to our family.”
“As siblings, we’ve had many open and loving conversations— with Aydan included —about how to support and protect her,” the statement added.
She has a close relationship with her mom
To mark her mom Terri’s 50th birthday in February 2023, Aydan shared a touching tribute to her mother via Instagram, writing, “She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever known and ever will know.”
“Sometimes I call her 4 times a day. She always answers the phone,” Aydan wrote, noting that her mom is her “role model and my best friend.”
