Gigi and Bella Hadid had good reasons for waiting to introduce the world to their half-sister Ayden Nix.
“Bella, Gigi and Anwar have met Ayden and have been in touch with her for about a year and a half now,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “They have welcomed her with open arms and are fully embracing her as their sibling.”
The insider notes that it was a “complete shock to the whole family” to learn they had a relation to Nix, 23. While the Hadids have gotten to know Nix for the past year, they wanted to wait before introducing her to the public.
“They kept this news a secret for the sake of Ayden’s privacy,” the source explains. “The Hadid sisters and Anwar have tried to not pass judgment about the situation.”
Initially, Gigi, 30, Bella, 28, and Anwar, 25, had “a lot of questions”, and but they remained “positive” and “open-minded.”
“The family wanted to keep things private until Ayden was ready. Gigi and Bella have given her space but are always warm and there for her if she wants to get in touch or see them,” the source says. “They don’t see each other often and haven’t spent much time together. Ayden has a lot in common with Bella and Gigi and they have bonded over NYC and the fashion industry. She looks up to the girls a lot.”
Gigi and Bella revealed on Thursday, May 29, that they learned about their half-sister on their father’s side after Nix took an at-home ancestry DNA test.
“Over 20 years ago, our dad, while single, had a brief relationship that led to a pregnancy. Aydan was born and raised in Florida, growing up with the man she lovingly knew as her father until his sudden passing when she was 19,” Gigi and Bella said in a statement to the Daily Mail. “After his passing, she decided to take a genetic test out of curiosity, and that’s how she discovered a biological connection to us. We first connected in late 2023, and from that moment on, we’ve embraced Aydan with open arms.”
According to the source, Nix’s relationship with father Mohamed Hadid — which she initiated — has been a “slow burn.” “Mohamed took accountability and shared the news to the family and that is when they all connected as a whole,” the source tells Us. “Mohamed isn’t close with Ayden but is there for her. They are all figuring things out.”
Mohamed was married to Yolanda Hadid from 1994 to 2000 and they share Gigi, Bella and Anwar. The real estate mogul is also father of daughters Marielle and Alana from a previous relationship.
