Gigi Hadid‘s sister, Bella Hadid, posted an Instagram Story video where she was seen squinting her eyes next to a Buddha cookie, allegedly mocking Asians.
The video was posted February 4, where the girls are out for dinner for a friends birthday. Bella zoomed in on Gigi as she placed a small Buddha cookie next to her face and squinted her eyes. The video has since been taken down but one viewer managed to download it and upload it on Twitter.
this is y’all woke palestine queen? Gigi out here mocking Asian people. i would say she’s cancelled but she never started. rat @GiGiHadid pic.twitter.com/b6wj5k1sXE
— z (@zainzayns) February 5, 2017
Some people defended Gigi, saying the response to the video was too dramatic.
so this is the reason why everybody is calling Gigi racist? y’all are so dramatic https://t.co/rrr6FIIrOE
— coop (@zaynyouremylife) February 7, 2017
Others were not surprised at the video, claiming that Gigi has had controversies before where people accused her of being racist. In the past, she was accused of cultural appropriation for wearing an afro for a Vogue Italia photo shoot.
…….. what in the fresh hell…is gigi hadid doing….. pic.twitter.com/Tq2agjqKGu
— ? (@haarleyquin) February 5, 2017
Her mother, Yolanda Foster, took to Twitter to defend her daughter, telling people to practice happiness and kindness instead of having a toxic mind.
❤Only a toxic mind will perceive hugging a chocolate laughing Buddha as racist…… ? #PracticeHappiness #PracticeKindness pic.twitter.com/NggEhuJXas
— YOLANDA (@YolandaHFoster) February 6, 2017
This outraged people who felt that Asian’s are always made fun of but people never consider that racism.
why are people calling asains extra when people make fun of us. why are people acting like racism against asians isn’t racism?? lmao https://t.co/QQKvsQBQ4G
— cilla (@cillllaaaaa) February 7, 2017
To make matters worse, Gigi is currently dating Zayn Malik, who is of half-Pakistani descent. People were quick to comment on how she could do something like this when her own boyfriend is Asian. Zayn responded to this and defended Gigi by replying to a fan, saying Gigi likes Asians,
@KristopherRod trust me.. she likes asians ;) ??
— zayn (@zaynmalik) February 7, 2017
Fans, however, were not happy with this response, some telling Zayn to delete the tweet while others voiced their disappointment in his defense of her.
@zaynmalik wallahi i love you so much you need to stop disappointing me. Educate yourself for the love of god it will save you & your career
— hana ?? (@fumeurzayn) February 7, 2017
Regardless of her boyfriend and mother defending her, Gigi has not responded to this incident and has not posted anything on social media regarding it either.
