Yolanda Hadid Defends Daughter Bella Over Nike Backlash

Mama bear’s fighting back.

Earlier this week, ice dancer Meryl Davis slammed athletic brands like Nike and Puma for using celebrities to model their clothes. The Olympic gold medalist’s comment came after model Bella Hadid showed off her new Nike campaign on Instagram.

Naturally, Bella’s mom — former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid — came to her defense.

“You obviously don’t have to be an athlete to wear or enjoy Nike wear,” she told TMZ.

The mother of three went on to note that Bella dreamt of being an Olympic equestrian for years, but had to quit competing due to her Lyme disease. One side effect of the disease — which Yolanda also battles — is cognitive impairment.

Yolanda has continued to post supportive messages to her daughter on Instagram.

Davis, 29, has received a lot of support regarding her remarks online; however, she clarified her comments (and intent) in another post on Twitter:

Bella hasn’t weighed in on Meryl’s remarks, but judging from her Instagram she isn’t letting it affect her much. The model is busy preparing to walk in her first Victoria’s Secret show… while still repping Nike.