This afternoon, Gigi Hadid has thanked a fan who defended her actions after she was accused of lashing out 'aggressively' at a man in Milan.
On leaving the Max Mara show – in which she and sister Bella walked in – the 21-year-old was walking to her car before a man accosted her and picked her up off the ground from behind.
Naturally terrified, Hadid hit back at the man, using her fists and elbows to escape from his grasp.
However, rather than defend the model's actions, several publications have accused her of violently lashing out at a fan.
Defending Gigi, fan Rachel McGrath tweeted:
Gigi replied to the tweet, thanking her fan:
Clearly shaken by the incident, Gigi was then seen jumping into a car with her sister and driving to safety.
The attack comes a year after the model was forced to sell her New York apartment after a stalker managed to sneak his way past security and attempt to enter her apartment.
It's at this time, we remember Emma Watson's poignant words earlier this week regarding violence against women: 'When one person's safety is violated, everyone feels their own safety is violated.'
Gigi had every right to defend herself. Period.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
