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Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@yolanda.hadid
Topics: Gigi Hadid, Celebrity, US News
Rhianna Benson
Yolanda Hadid appeared to find herself in hot water this week after sharing an 'inappropriate' photo of her four-year-old granddaughter, Khai.
So much so, that the 'momager' - best known for having raised Gigi and Bella Hadid - has been forced to defend her behaviour, posting a damning response to the criticism on social media.
For those in need of a reminder, 30-year-old Gigi shares Khai with her ex-partner, Zayn Malik.
The big-name couple were first linked back in 2015, after the model split from Joe Jonas, and the One Direction singer broke up with Little Mix's Perrie Edwards. They announced their pregnancy five years later, with Khai being welcomed into the world in December 2020.
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Since then, as well as Gigi and Zayn, 32, having split, the exes have very rarely shown glimpses at their daughter in public.
In fact, only on a handful of occasions has the child's mother shared photos of her on social media, with Gigi - who has been dating father-of-one Bradley Cooper since 2023 - always being careful to shield the child's face from cameras.
Naturally, therefore, fans were somewhat shocked when Khai's grandmother Yolanda took to Instagram to share her own photo of the youngster.
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In the image, which was part of a birthday tribute for Gigi and Bella's 26-year-old brother, Anwar, the child can be seen enjoying a day at the beach with her uncle.
It isn't so much the fact that Yolanda shared the photo that has apparently caused such a stir, but that Khai is seen in a swimming costume.
"This is really inappropriate," one critic wrote in the comments of Yolanda's photo. "A child’s privacy should always be respected posting such a photo is not okay. Please think about how this might affect her in the future."
However, the mother-of-three hit back at the remark, writing: "Please go and harass somebody else’s feed.
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"You are not welcome here!!!"
A second critic pointed out: "She has 3.6 million followers, you think all 3.6 million have good intentions? Child safety isn't a joke."
Others, however, took the opportunity to defend Yolanda's post, claiming the criticism itself sexualises the idea of a child in a swimsuit.
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"All I see is a kid in a bathing suit. There's literally nothing inappropriate showing," one added to the debate.
Another wrote: "I think people are being extra. The child has on a bathing suit... damn."
While a third commented: "You sexualizing A CHILD WHO IS COVERED IN A BATHING SUIT is what’s inappropriate…"