Gigi Hadid Speaks Out After Fighting Off Attacker in Milan: "I Felt I Was in Danger"

Gigi Hadid opens up in the latest Lena Dunham 'Lenny Letter' about fighting off a stranger who manhandled her in Milan.

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Complex Original

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Gigi Hadid became the unwilling target of a bizarre attack prank in Milan last week, prompting some decidedly gross headlines that seemed to suggest Hadid was in the wrong for fighting her way out of the situation. Hadid promptly called out these headlines on Twitter, disputing the oft-repeated description of the suspected attacker as a "fan" and asserting her right to defend herself. In the latest edition of Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner's Lenny Letter, Hadid addressed the incident in greater detail.

"I played volleyball, and my coaches talked about muscle memory," Hadid explained to Dunham. "I started boxing two years ago and I always remembered that. Since then, I hadn't been in a situation that forced me to fight back, but it just came out when he grabbed me—it wasn't a choice. I do have that fighter in me."

For Hadid, the situation was as simple as this: she felt she was in danger and responded appropriately.

"If anything, I want girls to see the video and know that they have the right to fight back, too, if put in a similar situation, "Hadid said. "Practicing self-defense is important so that when you're in the moment, reacting from muscle memory comes more naturally to you than freezing up." Hadid added that her mother was hella proud of her response, even texting her a pic of the dude getting elbowed with the caption "Good girl."

Peep Hadid's full breakdown of the harrowing Milan moment, including additional commentary from Hadid on why all those headlines were pretty gross, right here.

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