David Foster Opens Up About Ex Yolanda Hadid's Lyme Disease Battle: ‘We Always Just Did Our Best’
David Foster is speaking out about his ex-wife Yolanda Hadid‘s battle with Lyme disease.
The Grammy-winning music producer opened up about Hadid’s struggle with the tick-borne illness to Entertainment Tonight at the GRAMMY Museum’s third annual gala at The Novo in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, where he received the Architects of Sound Award for his contribution to the music industry.
“We just always did our best,” Foster, 67, said. “We had some other issues as well, but everybody’s in a good place now. The main thing is that she’s healthy and in remission. She worked really hard at it and now she’s reaping the rewards of that.”
Hadid and Foster were married for four years and together for nine before divorcing in 2016 (They had separated in December of the previous year.)
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum was first diagnosed with severe, chronic neurological Lyme disease in 2012 after a Belgian doctor discovered an active infection in her brain. Despite antibiotics, her condition drastically got worse and symptoms like joint pain, exhaustion, insomnia and anxiety plagued her daily life. Simple things like answering an email became difficult and her fatigue was so severe walking from the bedroom to the bathroom was nearly impossible.
Hadid wrote in her new book — Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease — that the treatment of the debilitating illness created cracks in her marriage to Foster.
“I haven’t read the book, but she seems to be doing great, ” Foster told ET. “She’s healthy and living back east and happy and her kids are doing great, so it’s good.”
After her excruciating five-year battle with Lyme disease, Hadid — a mother of three to children Gigi Hadid, 22, Bella Hadid, 20, and Anwar Hadid, 18 — told PEOPLE earlier this month that she’s regained her life and is in what “feels like recovery.”
She also said she’s dedicated than ever to helping others by sharing her story.
“There was a lot of internal learning to do about myself,” Hadid said. “I’m such a fighter that I used to keep getting up and doing my thing. I had to surrender to what was going on in that moment, which was I needed rest.”
“As difficult as these past five years have been, I am so grateful that this journey has led me to living in the light,” she continued. “I have had it all and lost it all, only to realize that less is more, money can’t buy you health or happiness, and one day at a time is good enough.”
