Mohamed Hadid, the father of models Gigi and Bella Hadid, has apologized after allegedly sending New York Rep. Ritchie Torres racist and homophobic messages via Instagram direct message, according to the New York Post.
“I need to apologize,” he wrote on Instagram Saturday. “Not for the anger I feel but for the words I used to express that anger. I intended to express how Mr. Torres is a shill being used by Israel. A state that not only mistreats Black and Brown people but pinkwashes their atrocities using their projected gay rights as a shield for their human rights violations. My feeling after 76 years of being a refugee from the country where I and my ancestors were born and watching a genocide unfold are at an all time high. I am watching Unites State politicians work as AIPAC messengers of genocide.”
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The post continued, “I used the wrong words to express that anger but the anger was warranted. To send Black and Brown and other marginalized communities to do the dirty work of two countries who have never respected them is wrong. I apologize to my community for directing the conversation to this. And even for a minute from Palestine. All eyes on Palestine. Free Palestine.”
Earlier Saturday, the New York Post obtained screenshots sent from Hadid’s verified Instagram account to the representative, in which he allegedly told the congressman that he was a “slave to whites.”
“You worse than the rats of New York sewage system. They have bigger brains than you. You might get a job as bouncer at gay bar,” Hadid reportedly told Torres in a message. According to the publication, another message read, “Make sure you dress as KKK to hide that ugly gray colored face of yours.”
In the only screenshot shared by the New York Post, Hadid wrote, “You are just unusual Black and colorful mouth for Israeli and AIPAC and looking for payday of over 500K,” referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Torres made history as the first openly gay Black and Hispanic member of Congress in 2021. Since Hamas‘ Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, the representative has been very vocal about his support for Israel.
In a statement to the New York Post, the congressman said, “Whether it is dehumanizing me as worse than the rats of the NYC sewage system or telling me to dress like the KKK to ‘hide that gray colored face of yours,’ Mr. Hadid has hurled just about every racist insult at me shorting of calling me the N-word.”
He added, “That Mr. Hadid felt so at ease demonizing and dehumanizing a Black member of Congress reveals a tragic truth about our politics: if you are a person of color and pro-Israel, you are fair game for racist invective.”
Hadid, who is Palestinian, isn’t the only member of his family who has been vocal against Israel. Following the attacks, Gigi Hadid took to her Instagram to share a lengthy message in support of Palestine.
“My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict – too many of which are children,” she wrote in part. “I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it’s a responsibility I hold daily.”
Updated April 20 at 3:55 p.m. PT: Hadid’s apology.
