Gigi Hadid Makes Rare Comment On Bradley Cooper Romance, Spills On Their Unexpected First Meeting

Gigi Hadid is opening up about her relationship with Bradley Cooper, describing their bond as “very romantic and happy.”

Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid have largely kept their relationship private since first sparking romance rumors with a dinner outing in late 2023.

In her Vogue cover story published Tuesday, the model reflected on their connection and how it has positively influenced her life.

“Getting to the point where knowing what you want and deserve in a relationship is essential,” Hadid explained. “And then to find someone that is in a place in their life where they know what they want and deserve. And you both do work separately to come together and be the best partner that you can be.”

Hadid also expressed deep admiration for Cooper, calling him an inspiring force in her life.

“He gives so much to me: encouragement and, just, belief,” she shared. “For those people you admire to encourage you, it can create so much belief in yourself. Like, what’s the worst thing if I auditioned for this?”

The "Next in Fashion" co-host credited Cooper with inspiring her to take more risks and embrace new experiences. She noted that he has “opened [her] up to going to the theater more,” something she has enjoyed bringing back into her life.

Vogue revealed that Hadid and Cooper first crossed paths at a backyard birthday party for a mutual friend’s child, an unexpectedly ordinary setting for two globally recognized celebrities looking to date.

“You want to give yourself a normal experience of dating,” Hadid said. “And even for my friends who aren’t public figures, that’s hard. Where do you go? And, what? You just start talking to people? And then there’s another added layer of privacy and security. You want to believe that people are going to have your back and not call TMZ or go on Deuxmoi or whatever, but you just don’t know.”

Hadid first publicly acknowledged Cooper in October 2024 when explaining his absence from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, she shared that he was watching from home, saying, “He is on dad duty but so supportive,” in reference to his 7-year-old daughter, Lea, whom he shares with model Irina Shayk.

Shayk welcomed her daughter, Lea, with Cooper during their relationship, which lasted from 2015 to 2019.

Hadid is also a mother, sharing 4-year-old daughter Khai with ex-partner Zayn Malik. Speaking to Vogue, she explained how they manage co-parenting despite their demanding schedules. “We do [our] custody schedules months in advance” to ensure stability, she said.

“That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t change here and there, but we help each other out and have each other’s backs,” she added, describing the cooperative dynamic she maintains with Malik. The pair, who dated for over two years before splitting in 2021, continue to prioritize their daughter’s well-being.

“Gigi and I had an incredibly meaningful, loving and fun relationship and I have a huge amount of respect and adoration for Gigi as a woman and a friend,” Malik said at the time. “She has such an incredible soul. I’m grateful to all of our fans for respecting this difficult decision and our privacy at this time, we wish this news could have come from us first.”

Although their breakup made headlines due to reports of an alleged altercation between Malik and Gigi’s mother, Yolanda Hadid, the model emphasized that they have moved forward with mutual respect.

“What we are interested in is raising our daughter together, with so much respect for each other, and not just as co-­parents, but what we’ve been through together," she said.

Hadid also reflected on the challenges of public scrutiny in both her co-parenting relationship and her romance with Cooper, acknowledging, “I can’t always correct everything” when it comes to media narratives that are “kind of right and kind of wrong.”