Yolanda Hadid's Complete Transformation

Yolanda Hadid became a household name in 2012 when she starred on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Her striking beauty, endearing accent, and love of lemons made her a fan favorite. But "RHOBH" was not her first brush with fame. After getting discovered in her native Holland, she became an extremely successful model who traveled all over the world for her career. It was a lot for the small-town girl, and, eventually, she opted out of the jet-setting life to settle down and start a family.

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Yolanda Hadid had three children, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, and Anwar Hadid, who all became models themselves. Yolanda helped nurture her children's careers while balancing her own private and professional endeavors. After her Lyme disease diagnosis, she became outspoken on the topic, telling her story to help others struggling with the illness. While she had her dark times, she always bounced back, and now she's living her best life with a new love and a brand-new home. Read on to learn more about Yolanda's complete and stunning transformation.

Yolanda Hadid was born and raised in Holland

Yolanda Hadid is known by many as the glamorous mom of Gigi and Bella Hadid, whose immaculate refrigerator was the envy of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" fans everywhere (it even has its own Instagram account). But what you never knew about Yolanda is that, long before she graced TV screens, she lived a humble life in a very small town in the Netherlands.

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Hadid was born and raised in the farming town of Papendrecht, Holland, alongside her brother, Leo van den Herik. On an episode of "RHOBH" Season 5, Hadid took her castmates on a trip back to her hometown and was very excited to show the ladies where she grew up. "I guess I'm just still a little girl at heart because I'm proud of where I came from, that's what made me who I am today," she said in a confessional on the show (via Bravo TV).

Perhaps it was important for Hadid to take her friends to Holland so they could get to know her better. During a 2018 interview with Larry King, Hadid was asked to reveal something that people got wrong about her. "I think that they think I'm much more fancy than I really are [sic]," she said. "Deep in my heart, I'm just a farm girl from Holland, and that's where I feel happiest and best."

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She lost her father when she was just 7 years old

When Yolanda Hadid was just 7 years old, her father was killed in a car accident. Hadid's mother was only thirty when her husband died, and she did her best to raise her children alone. "My mother was incredible, both strong and loving ... [she] devoted her life to my brother and me," Hadid wrote on her website. "Strangely, she never mentioned my dad, so I cried myself to sleep at night and learned to deal with the loss of the most important person in my young life, my daddy."

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The tragedy also caused Hadid to gain a new outlook on life, one that was incredibly mature, albeit difficult, for a seven-year-old. Hadid recalled the day of her father's funeral and how she felt the need to be strong for her mom and brother. "I truly believe that at that particular moment, an unexplainable power came over me as I consciously decided that I was going to be the provider for our family," she wrote.

Enduring such a tragic loss at a young age had an effect of Hadid that carried into her adult life. "It changed me forever," she told Larry King. "I've had this complex my whole life with men ... anything abandonment, like if they stop talking to me I freak out and I go back to being seven years old," she revealed.

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Yolanda Hadid dreamed of becoming a professional equestrian

As a child, Yolanda Hadid had an affinity for horses. Her mother even sent her to Pony Camp where she felt a special connection to one of the horses. It was the summer after Hadid's father passed away, and being around this horse was therapeutic for her. "All of my love and pain, I shared with this animal," she wrote on her website. Her mother eventually bought the horse and Hadid worked hard caring for it and the other animals on the farm. She decided she wanted to become a professional equestrian, but realized it would be an expensive endeavor.

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Hadid became a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant which proved to be a dirty job. "I would be so greasy and stinky by the end of the day that my mom would make me take off my clothes before entering the house and heading straight to the shower for a much-needed scrub," she wrote. But she continued working, getting a job at a local grocery store, which filled her with a sense of accomplishment. "That monthly check made me gladly juggle my hectic school, riding, and barn work schedule," she explained. "I was so motivated ... My energy was endless."

She became a model purely by chance

While Yolanda Hadid worked hard to help her family and in the hopes of becoming an equestrian, a new opportunity presented itself out of the blue. Hadid was in Amsterdam doing a hair show for a friend, when Dutch designer Frans Molenaar noticed her and asked if she would walk the runway in his fashion show. Hadid, who had never worn makeup or high heels, copied what the other models were doing and made a seriously strong impression. It turned out she was a natural, and that very day she was approached by a scout from Eileen Ford, which led to getting signed by Ford Models.

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Hadid soon became an in-demand model, jet-setting all over the world for her new career. It's easy to see why Hadid was so successful, judging by the stunning photos of her modeling days posted by Bravo TV. Hadid was finally able to support her family, as she'd always intended, but there was a downside to her new and glamorous livelihood. "The sad thing was that my childhood was over," Hadid explained on her website. "I never returned to live in Holland and, in a flash, my adult life had begun."

Hadid worked as a model for 15 years, but eventually the lifestyle took its toll on her. "I was tired and extremely lonely from traveling the world and living out of a suitcase," she wrote.

Yolanda Hadid married and started a family with Mohamed Hadid

After making lots of money and getting to travel the world as a model, Yolanda Hadid was ready to settle down. She met real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, and the pair were married in 1994. Soon after, the couple welcomed their three children, daughters Jelena "Gigi" Hadid in 1995, Isabella "Bella" Hadid in 1996, and son, Anwar Hadid in 1999. According to Yolanda, being a mother is her greatest accomplishment and she feels deeply connected to her children. "I am grateful that my children chose me to be their mommy when they came into this world, and I love the journey that has come with it," she shared with Fashion Week Daily.

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The Hadid sisters live an insanely glamorous life now, but their parents' marriage did not stand the test of time; Yolanda and Mohamed divorced in 2000. In a 2013 blog post for Bravo, Yolanda shut down rumors that model and "Real Housewives of Miami" star Joanna Krupa played a part in the couple's split, but revealed that Mohamed had been unfaithful. "...at this point, 12 years later, we have left that negative chapter behind and have moved on to be friends and are united parents to our children," Yolanda wrote.

Yolanda may not have been a super strict parent, but being a single mother of three came with its challenges. "... I needed to be disciplined about routines and responsibilities...," she told Fashion Week Daily. "I believe in clear boundaries and a lot of nurturing while guiding the children to their full potential..."

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She met David Foster through her ex-husband

Yolanda Hadid found love again in 2006 with music producer David Foster. The pair met in an unconventional way, through Yolanda's ex-husband. Mohamed Hadid and David Foster were friends, and Foster recalled the first time he saw Yolanda in a photo. "I was walking around [Mohamed's] house, and I saw all these photographs of him and her and their children. I said, 'That's your ex-wife, and I'd like to meet her,'" he told Haute Living.

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The two hit it off and were married in a lavish ceremony in 2011, which included Hadid and Foster's kids from previous marriages. Hadid's son, Anwar, gave her away, which was special to her. "I know my daddy was looking down from Heaven, knowing I was in the best hands walking down the aisle with my most precious man," she posted on Instagram (via Daily Mail).

The happy couple built a sprawling home in Malibu, and Hadid gushed about it and her hubby to Hello!. "I love it when my husband says, 'I'm proud this is my home and my woman,'" she shared. Foster chimed in, "She creates the most wonderful home ... I love going to sleep with her and waking up next to her." Unfortunately, this relationship could not stand the test of time either, and the couple filed for divorce in 2015. Hadid took her divorce from Foster especially hard, and a source told Page Six that the reason for the split may have been Hadid's public struggle with Lyme disease. "David thinks everything revolves around her and her illness," the source said. 

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Yolanda Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012

All seemed well in Yolanda Hadid's life, but beneath the surface, she was suffering. Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, and the time leading up to her diagnosis was scary. "I used to be a multitasking, single mother of three and social butterfly who, slowly, started to lose her magical powers," she shared with Vogue. Hadid said she began to have symptoms such as migraines, joint pain, anxiety, insomnia, and a host of others, that led her to seek help from a doctor in Belgium who identified Lyme as the cause.

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Hadid has been vocal about her disease over the years, and it was revealed that her children Bella and Anwar were diagnosed with Lyme around the same time she was. Hadid explained that while living in Santa Barbara, she and her kids were often in nature and spent time riding horses, which is where they may have contracted the tick-borne illness. "We never noticed any ticks or bull's-eye rashes on us, but we'll never know for sure," Hadid told Vogue.

While Hadid described living with Lyme disease as "an absolute nightmare," the diagnosis was humbling and taught her some valuable lessons. "My 'new normal' is much slower and more in tune with who I am. I've also learned to love my authentic self with all my imperfections ... Looking back, all those difficult times in my life were blessings in disguise," she said.

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She went through some rough times during her stint on RHOBH

With her ultra-glam looks, an enviable home, and her marriage to a high-profile musician, Yolanda Hadid seemed like the perfect fit on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Hadid joined the show for its third season, and was a full-time cast member until the end of Season 6. But being on the show was rough at times for Hadid, due in part to the fact that her casting coincided with her Lyme disease diagnosis. "I kind of stayed on because I thought, 'Okay, I'll be better next season,' she told Entertainment Tonight. "I didn't know Lyme disease was a life sentence."

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She was also not used to having her family scrutinized by the public. Hadid was criticized by fans for what they saw as encouraging her daughter Gigi to engage in unhealthy eating habits in order to achieve her dream of becoming a model. During an episode of the show, Hadid tells her daughter to "have a couple of almonds and chew them really well." Hadid later told People that the comment was taken out of context and explained, "It's such a silly narrative that is out there, that has nothing to do with the reality of our lives."

And then, of course, were the conflicts she had with other cast members, including hurtful arguments about her illness. "Not just hurtful to me, but hurtful to my children and my family who loves me," she said, adding, "I'm too sensitive. I couldn't deal with that back and forth between women."

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Yolanda Hadid starred in her own reality show in 2018

After leaving "RHOBH" in 2016, Yolanda Hadid took it slow, hanging out with her family and penning her book, "Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease." The eye-opening memoir included some images that were beyond TMI. Before long, Hadid was ready to get back into reality TV, this time with her own show focused on modeling. By 2018, all of Hadid's children had successful modeling careers, with Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid reaching supermodel status. Their experiences, plus her own extensive experience in the modeling world, inspired her to host "Making a Model with Yolanda Hadid," which premiered on the Lifetime network.

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The show focused on five aspiring models and their mothers, focusing less on looks and more on the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of enduring in a very cutthroat business. "It was a really great time to see moms and daughters learn how to work through problems and communicate without getting mad or upset — and just reconnect and get heart-to-heart," Hadid told W.

She also explained that doing the show gave her an excuse to be closer to her own daughters, as it allowed her to move to New York. Despite the competition aspect of Hadid's show, she emphasized that her daughters, Gigi and Bella, were never in competition with each other. "I taught them at a very early age that it's not about competing with anybody — it's about becoming your personal best," Hadid shared.

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She found love again in 2019

After her divorce from David Foster, Yolanda Hadid took some much-needed time to focus on herself. "I didn't want to date, I didn't want to meet anybody," she shared with People. But in 2018, she opened herself back up to the prospect of love, really giving the idea a lot of focus. "I made a love spiral and wrote down exactly everything that was important to me in a man and he magically just rang the doorbell at the farm," she said.

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Hadid was referring to construction CEO Joseph Jingoli, who she met on her family farm in Pennsylvania. The couple began dating in January of 2019, and made it red-carpet official in October that same year at the Global Lyme Alliance's Annual Gala. "He rides horses, he loves nature, he loves the farm. To find love again at 55 is amazing," Hadid gushed to People about her new man.

Jingoli proposed to Hadid in 2022 during a vacation to the Netherlands, which of course has a special place in Hadid's heart. She posted an adorable pic on Instagram of her and Jingoli kissing while on bikes in Amsterdam, clearly quite smitten.

Yolanda Hadid is thriving on her Texas ranch

Yolanda Hadid has been busy since leaving "RHOBH." She grew up in a small farming town in Holland but now enjoys life on a Texas ranch. However, her new digs are not exactly humble, and Hadid made sure she got the vibes just right when creating the dream home she shares with fiance Joseph Jingoli. "My overall vision for this house was industrial, modern... put your boots up on the table and not worry about anything," she told Architectural Digest. The location of Hadid's ranch has a special significance as well. "My partner took me to Fort Worth on our first date... and I fell in love with it," she explained.

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The expansive ranch is a bit of a departure from Hadid's Malibu home featured on "RHOBH," but her kitchen is just as well-appointed. It even features a honey bar filled with many variations of honey. The house also has an adorable space created for Hadid's granddaughter, Khai, daughter of Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik. "I just wanted to make her something really cute where she can bring friends," she said of the ranch's "bunk bedroom."

Since it is a ranch, of course, there are horses, and Hadid gets to engage in her first love of riding every day. "In the summer we get up at four, four-thirty, have a cup of coffee, go riding," she told Architectural Digest. You can take the girl out of the farm, but it seems she will often find her way back.

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