Gigi Hadid ‘pulls out’ of Victoria’s Secret Show in Shanghai
‘I’m so bummed I won’t be able to make it to China this year’
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Your support makes all the difference.Gigi Hadid has revealed she won’t be walking in this year’s Victoria’s Secret Show, despite announcing she had been cast in August.
The 22-year-old model took to Twitter on Thursday to tell fans she would no longer be partaking in what would have been her third show for the US lingerie brand.
“I’m so bummed I won’t be able to make it to China this year,” she wrote.
“Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!! Can't wait to tune in with everyone to see the beautiful show I know it will be, and already can't wait for next year! :) x”
Her announcement comes less than two weeks before the show is due to take place in Shanghai.
While neither Hadid nor Victoria's Secret have revealed why the popular model won’t be walking in the show anymore, fans speculate it might have something to do with a Snapchat video she posted in February.
In the short clip, which resurfaced after Hadid announced she had been cast in the show, the model appears to be mocking Asian facial traits while holding a Buddha-shaped cookie to her face.
The video prompted a furore online, with fans accusing Hadid of offending Asian people.
Some suspect the video prevented Hadid from being granted a Chinese visa.
"Gigi Hadid deserves to not walk the vs show and be banned from china after her racist and ignorant video mocking Chinese people," wrote one user on Twitter.
"Miss Gigi Hadid got denied her visa to go to China for that racist video from earlier this year," added another.
The Californian model posted an apology for the video on Chinese social media website Weibdo on September 1, but this did little to stop the backlash.
Meanwhile, Hadid’s younger sister Bella is still set to walk down the Victoria’s Secret runway.
The show will be broadcast in more than 190 countries in November 28.
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