Bella Hadid is reportedly struggling behind the scenes as she continues her long battle with Lyme disease.
According to Us Weekly, the 29-year-old model has been “masking her pain” but cracks have begun to show amid her latest health flare-up.
For those unversed, Hadid was diagnosed with the tick-borne illness in 2012.
Later that year, her mother Yolanda Hadid and brother Anwar were also diagnosed after allegedly contracting it while living on a ranch in Santa Barbara.
“Chronic Lyme disease, like Bella has, is especially tough because the symptoms aren’t visible to the eye,” an insider shared.
“People can look at her and not realize the suffering she’s enduring — the exhaustion, the body pains, the depression, and the brain fog. It’s debilitating.”
The source added, “Bella’s very open about what she does to fight it because there’s so little information out there, and she feels like she has a duty to shine a spotlight on it.”
However, not everyone in her circle has shown understanding.
“Certain people have let her down — friends who act like she’s not sick or change the subject when she brings it up,” the insider said.
“Bella’s family has been so supportive, especially her mom. But others don’t understand what she’s going through.”
Another source noted, “It might look like she’s living this great, so-called ‘normal’ life, but a lot of the time she’s in agony. She just hides it well.”
