Before the Glitz and Glamour: Yolanda Hadid’s Rough Past Will Inspire You To Persevere

Long before supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid dominated runways, their mother Yolanda was the first to have carved her name in the industry. Not to say that the gorgeous siblings didn’t make their own path in the field of fashion, but we can all agree that it became easier for them, thanks to the matriarch.

Yes, the equally stunning models are now the talks of the town but who can forget who started it in the first place? Yolanda, as everyone may remember, used to be a cast member of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but the 54-year-old has a far more colorful and interesting life than what you have seen in the reality show.

Yolanda van den Herik was born in a poor family and was raised in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, she grew up without a father because her dad passed away when she was just 7.

She was forced to work to provide for her family

As such, Yolanda felt the need to provide for her brother and mother, and so, she was driven to work for money. Also, modeling wasn’t really in her pegboard – she didn’t dream of becoming one and didn’t have an inkling about fashion magazines like Elle, Cosmopolitan or Vogue simply because it wasn’t her thing.

At 16, the stunner moved to the United States to pursue modeling just so she could send money back home to her family. Yolanda’s mom gave her 100 guilders, she recalled, which only exchanged for $55 at the time.

The start of her long-lasting career was when she signed with Ford Models agency and later, she moved to a model house, where aspiring ones reside. Yolanda went to go-sees through the quarters given to her by the management and used a paper map to wander around.

Before this duo walked the runway, their mother had done it first out of necessity

As she started earning big money, Yolanda made sure she understood her priority. To do this, she literally kept track of her expenses and income and stayed frugal.

She never left the United States, despite earlier plans of going home after securing enough money. However, she did move to Los Angeles from New York City.

At 21, Yolanda got her very first investment: a Los Angeles apartment, which she had bought through hard work. Eventually, the purchase paid off because she was able to sell it for an impressive price years later.

Later on, she tied the knot with real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid, whom she shares three kids with, Bella, Gigi, and Anwar. After six years of marriage, the couple divorced and she went on to marry David Foster.

Yolanda and David Foster called it quits in 2017

However, things didn’t work between Yolanda and David, who separated in 2017. He is now in a relationship with singer Katharine McPhee.