Gigi Hadid is blasting a paparazzi agency for suing her after she posted one of its photos to Instagram — a photo of her, in fact.
The 23-year-old model didn't name the paparazzi agency suing her in the Instagram takedown.
"Yesterday I heard from my management that I am being 'legally pursued' for my last (now deleted) Instagram post," she wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Oct. 18.
"I posed/smiled for the photo because I understand that is part of my job, this was an appropriate situation for 'the press' to attend and also that this is how paparazzi make a living," she said. "The photo is by a Paparazzi & is of me on the street outside an event last week. These people make money off us everyday, LEGALLY stalking us day in and day out."
Gigi went on to say that photographers expose her, her friends and family to dangerous situations every day.
"All this to say that it is not spoken about enough the mental/emotional toll that this kind of press has on people, days I (& countless others) have stayed inside because I just don't want my photo taken," she said. "For someone to take a situation where I was trying to be open, and sue me for a photo I FOUND ON TWITTER (with no photographers name on the image), for a photo he has already been paid for by whatever outlet put it online (!!!), is absurd. If the person had just commented on my photo I would have been happy to tag and give credit."
"To the paparazzi, I understand that this is how you make your living and I respect that this is something I must accept with my job," Gigi wrote. "But there is a line. We are human beings, and sometimes it a lot of courage to engage with you because of the resentment I feel for the negative parts of these experiences."
The New York Post noted that many of Gigi's high-profile friends applauded the model for her comments.
"Well said sister! Thank you," Hadid's younger sister, Bella Hadid, responded.
Ruby Rose wrote, "So much yes. It's a double standard I've never understood."
Kylie Jenner added, "We're 'public figures' and it's legal for them to invade our privacy. It's pretty disappointing, we gotta change this."
On Oct. 18, the same day as Gigi's lengthy statement, Gigi's friend Kendall Jenner also blasted the press and paparazzi for exposing her to danger.
This isn't the first time Gigi has been at odds with paparazzi over an Instagram photo. In 2017, she was sued by a photographer who claims she used his photo all over her social media, severely cutting into his profits.