Even Victoria’s Secret Angels know that “love hurts.” Bella Hadid has broken her silence about her split from The Weeknd in an interview for Teen Vogue’s Love Issue.
The star-studded couple ended their nearly two-year relationship in early November after an “amicable parting,” according to Teen Vogue. Just a few weeks later, Hadid personified #breakupgoals as she walked in her first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show while her Grammy-winning ex performed on the same runway.
She later posted on Instagram a picture from the show, gushing about “the most fun and nerve racking experience” of her life and calling The Weeknd “the best and most incredible performer on the planet.”
While she may have put up a strong front to the public, Hadid now admits the breakup was far from easy. "It was my first breakup—or second, next to the horse—and so public,” she tells the magazine. “As an outsider, you might think I handled it so well, but it's always in your heart, and you always feel it very heavily. It'll be hard for a while. Love hurts, but you have to pull through."
The horse Bella refers to is Lego, her show horse she had to sell after Lyme disease ended her equestrian career.
Bella and The Weeknd first started dating in May 2015 after spending time together at the Coachella Music Festival, according to E! Online. They took a break in December 2015 but got back together shortly after.
"I'll always respect him, and I'll always love him," she says. "Sometimes you want to be sad about it or handle it differently, but at the end of the day, you never want to burn a bridge that you've fought so hard to build."
Hadid did not comment on The Weeknd's new romance with Selena Gomez, although she quietly unfollowed Gomez on Instagram after the pair went public.