Dutch-Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid has been vocal in her support for Palestine since before the war broke out between Hamas militants and Israel on Oct. 7.
But a video that recently went viral claims to show Hadid apologizing for her past remarks on Palestine and instead choosing to support Israel.
“Hi, it’s Bella Hadid. On October 7, 2023, Israel faced a tragic attack by Hamas. I can’t stay silent. I apologize for my past remarks. This tragedy has opened my eyes to the pain endured here and I stand with Israel against terror. I have taken time to truly learn the historical context. Now with a clearer understanding, I hope we can engage in constructive dialogue moving forward. Thank you,” Hadid appears to say in the video.
In response to the video being shared, people online claimed the video was made with artificial intelligence.
THE QUESTION
Is the video of Bella Hadid supporting Israel real?
THE SOURCES
- Original video published by the Global Lyme Alliance from an October 2016 gala
- Bella Hadid’s Instagram posts
- Instagram post from Israeli model Nataly Dadon
- InVid and RevEye, video forensics tools
THE ANSWER
No, the video of Bella Hadid supporting Israel isn’t real. It’s a deepfake.
WHAT WE FOUND
The video of Bella Hadid appearing to support Israel is a deepfake and was created using a video of Hadid from an event in 2016.
Deepfakes are made using artificial intelligence technologies that can replace or synthesize faces, speech or expressions of emotions.
In this case, the deepfake video was created using a video filmed in October 2016 at the Global Lyme Alliance Gala, where Hadid was honored and presented with an award. The Global Lyme Alliance posted Hadid’s 2016 speech on YouTube.
In the video from 2016 and the one being shared in October 2023, Hadid is wearing the same black dress and necklace in front of the same background. The shadow of the microphone on Hadid’s chest in both videos are also the same.
In the video of Hadid’s 2016 speech, Hadid talks about her own struggle with Lyme disease, thanked her friends and family for support and told others struggling with the disease that they aren’t alone. She didn’t mention Palestine.
To create the deepfake, that original audio was replaced with fake audio, appearing to show her voicing support for Israel.
The first instance VERIFY found of the fake video online was posted by Israeli model Nataly Dadon who shared the video on Oct. 29 with this caption: “Hi @bellahadid we fixed it for you,” implying the manipulated media “fixed” her stance to shift her allegiance from Palestine to Israel.
Hadid was initially quiet on social media about the Israel-Hamas conflict, but broke that silence on Oct. 26 with an Instagram post about her Palestinian heritage and the harassment she has recently faced.
“I’ve been sent hundreds of death threats daily, my phone number has been leaked, and my family has felt to be in danger. But I can not be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave - they are,” a portion of her message on Instagram said.
The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter, text alerts and our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Learn More »