Hadid pulls out of China show
Victoria’s Secret model’s exit comes after accusations of racist behaviour in video
SHANGHAI Supermodel Gigi Hadid said Friday she will not be walking the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in Shanghai next week, a few months after Chinese internet users accused her of racist behaviour.
Hadid tweeted: “I’m so bummed I won’t be able to make it to China this year. Love my VS family, and will be with all my girls in spirit!!”
Hadid didn’t explain and Victoria’s Secret refused to comment.
The surprise exit comes months after a video of Hadid triggered criticism on Chinese social networks. It showed Hadid squinting in a way that appeared to be a reference to a stereotype about Asian facial features. Hadid apologized in September on China’s Twitterlike microblog site, Weibo.
“I have learned to be very careful of how my actions can come off or be portrayed, and I’m hopeful you’ll accept my apology,” the post said.
It was not clear whether Hadid had been denied a visa. A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said he was unclear about the issue.
It is not uncommon for enter- tainers and performers to be denied visas by Chinese authorities for political reasons. Most recently, as tensions rose between China and South Korea over a U.S. missile defence system, some K-pop and K-drama stars cancelled visits to China due to visa delays.