Gigi Hadid is issuing a public plea.
In what she titled a "letter from a mamma" on July 5, the model asked the paparazzi, the press and fan accounts to respect the privacy of her and Zayn Malik's 9-month-old daughter Khai.
"As our baby grows up we have to realize that we can't protect her from everything the way we wanted to and could when she was smaller," Hadid wrote in a note shared to Twitter. "She loves seeing the world! And although she gets a lot of that out near the farm, she also gets to experience other places -- a true blessing. On our most recent visits to New York, she has started to want her sun shade lifted up (something she is used to at home) and helps herself to it!"
But soaking in the sights isn't easy. "She doesn't understand why she's covered in the city or what I've wanted to protect her from," Hadid continued. "I also want her to see the most amazing city in the world + the beautiful and diverse people that walk down the streets of NYC... that is, without the stress of the media circus that comes with parents who are public figures."
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
While she acknowledged the laws around paparazzi taking photos of kids change from state to state, she also noted she's seen some paps blur kids' faces in their pictures. "From asking around," she continued, "I believe that that comes down to the integrity of the photographer, publications or fans sharing the images."
Entertainment News
And that's what she is asking -- pleading -- for today. "You know we have never intentionally shared our daughters face on social media," Hadid added. "Our wish is that she can choose how to share herself with the world when she comes of age, and that she can live as normal of a childhood as possible, without worrying about a public image that she has not chosen."
As she continued, "It would mean the world to us, as we take our daughter to see and explore NYC and the world, if you would PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE blur her face out of images, if and when she is caught on camera. I know it's an extra effort--but as a new mom, I just want the best for my baby, as all parents do...and I hope this can continue the conversation to protect minors in the media, even if they come from a public family."
Hadid applauded those already doing so, giving them a "huge 'thank you'" for respecting Khai and her wishes: "I see you and I appreciate it."
"For a child, I can imagine that close or dramatic paparazzi frenzies must be overwhelming and disorienting... it still is as an adult that understands and deals with it often," she concluded. "I appreciate you taking the time to read this and hope you can understand where I'm coming from. With love, G."
