Gigi Hadid Called Kanye West a "Bully and a Joke"

Gigi Hadid walks the runway during the Givenchy Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 02, 2022 in Paris, France.

(Image credit: Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Getty)

published 5 October 2022

Gigi Hadid is not shy when it comes to defending her values—and her friends.

The supermodel told Kanye West exactly what she thought of his actions, after he took to attacking a fashion editor who criticized his latest Yeezy show at Paris Fashion Week.

Let's back up. To present his collection in Paris, West wore a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt, which people were quick to point out is highly offensive, as a slogan (and even a movement) often used by hate groups as a "racist response" to the Black Lives Matter movement, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

People reports that Vogue associate fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson posted criticism of West's show and "White Lives Matter" shirt in her Instagram Stories, following which the rapper and designer began posting mocking comments and captions aimed at Karefa-Johnson, which have since been deleted.

There are only two posts remaining on West's Instagram grid at time of writing, the first of which is a screenshot of texts seemingly sent to him, which tell him to stop insulting "that writer" and have a conversation with her instead.

Hadid, who has previously worked with Karefa-Johnson (per People), was not about to let this slide.

On that post, she commented, "You wish u had a percentage of her intellect. You have no idea haha…. If there’s actually a point to any of your sh*t she might be the only person that could save u. As if the 'honor' of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You’re a bully and a joke."

The second post is a photo taken from the fashion editor's Instagram, with a caption claiming that he and "Gabby" had a two-hour meeting, during which they apologized to each other. Hadid commented the simple but cutting, "It’s Gabriella*"

Fellow supermodel Hailey Bieber joined Hadid in defending the editor. She wrote on her Instagram Stories, "GKJ ALL DAY, EVERYDAY. My respect for you runs deep my friend! To know you is to adore you and to work with you is an honor."

Bieber called Karefa-Johnson, "the most kind. the most talented. the most fun. the most chic."

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.