Gigi was born on April 23, 1995 in Los Angeles as Jelena Noura Hadid. Her mother is former model and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Yolanda Hadid. Gigi Hadid’s father Mohamed Hadid was born in Palestine and made his fortune developing Ritz Carlton hotels and other high-end real estate all over the world. In late 2019, Mohamed’s company was forced to file for bankruptcy after being ordered to tear down an infamous Bel Air mansion.
Having grown up in Santa Barbara, California, Hadid graduated from Malibu High School in 2013. She moved to New York City to study criminal psychology at The New School, but halted her studies to focus on her modeling career. Hadid’s two younger siblings, Bella and Anwar, are also models.
Gigi’s parents divorced when she was eight years old. According to court documents, Mohamed paid Yolanda a settlement that included a $6 million house in Malibu, a mansion in Santa Barbara, several cars including an Escalade and Range Rover, $30,000 in monthly child support and a $3.6 million cash payout. Yolanda went on to marry prolific music producer David Foster in 2011, though they divorced in 2017.