The former reality star spoke with ET about her experience on the Bravo show and why she wouldn't go back.
Yolanda Hadid is opening up about her time on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and the impact it had on her psyche and her mental health.
The TV personality and former fashion model spoke with ET's Rachel Smith on Monday, after appearing at an event hosted by Project Healthy Minds at Hudson Yards in New York City, in celebration of Mental Health Day.
Amid the conversation about the importance of talking about mental health issues and caring for your own mental well-being, Hadid reflected on the toll appearing on the Bravo reality show had on her, and the role her battle with Lyme disease played in the trouble she had on the show.
"The first season I went on, I was diagnosed with neurological Lyme disease, and I struggled every day of the season," Hadid recalled. "I kind of stayed on because I thought, 'OK, I’ll be better next season.' I didn’t know Lyme disease was a life sentence. And now, here we are 10, 12 years, later I’m still struggling with it."
"I always thought 'Next season I’m gonna do better. Next season, I can fully understand,'" she added. "So I was never [working] with a full set of brains on the show."
Hadid said that, partly because of her condition, she clashed with some of the other cast members, and claimed that they accused her of making up her illness for attention.
"Those things were very hurtful, and not just hurtful to me but hurtful to my children and my family who loves me," she shared. "And they knew I was fighting for my life. So, from that perspective, it wasn’t a good experience for me. And, you know, that was the taste I was left with."
When it came to whether or not she'd ever consider doing the show again, Hadid didn't mince words, stating, "No, I wouldn’t."
"It was an experience you take on, but at this point in my life, I couldn’t. I’m too sensitive. I couldn’t deal with that back and forth between women," she explained. "It’s not my communication style or something that’s good for my life."
"I believe I want to be a woman who is for women, about women, with women, I want us all to hold hands and support each other and get each other through the difficult times of life," she continued. "I don’t understand that somebody would wake up and want to hurt somebody with words or behavior."
Check out the video below to hear more from Hadid on mental health and wellness -- including how proud she is of her daughters -- Gigi and Bella Hadid -- for dealing with the pressures and stress of social media and the public spotlight.
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