15 Photos Of the Weeknd & Bella That Speak More Than A Thousand Words
Celebrity relationships and friendships are a rare breed. These famous faces have their lives played out in front of the masses, whether it’s the good, the bad, or the straight-up shady. In Elite Daily’s new series, It’s Complicated, we’re highlighting the biggest celebrity "feuds" that took over Hollywood and dominated our Sunday brunches for weeks on end. We’ll take a deep dive into the lives and social media feeds of our favorite stars and dissect what happened in front of the camera, what went down behind the scenes, and everything you might have missed in between.
The Weeknd and Bella Hadid may be huge stars in Hollywood now, but back in 2015, they were just making a name for themselves in their respective careers. Hadid was beginning to walk the runway for well-known brands like Chanel and Marc Jacobs, while the Weeknd was skyrocketing to fame with his sophomore album, Beauty Behind the Madness. The Weeknd told Rolling Stone he asked Hadid to be on the cover of his album in 2015, but the model rejected his offer. That could have been the beginning and the end of their relationship, but the stars decided to meet in person anyway – more on that later. The relationship that unfolded afterward had some ups and downs, but the photos of The Weeknd and Bella Hadid through the years show they've always been close friends, whether they were together romantically or not.
SEPTEMBER 2015: Going Public
Following rumors the stars were flirting at Coachella in April, The Weeknd and Hadid were spotted sitting front row together at Alexander Wang's New York Fashion Week show on Sept. 13. The couple left the venue holding hands, hinting they were more than friends.
OCTOBER 2015: A Birthday Double Date
To kick off Hadid's birthday celebration, the couple went for a New York City outing with Hadid's sister Gigi and her then-boyfriend Joe Jonas on Oct. 9. Although they didn't hold hands as the paparazzi snapped pics, the fact they appeared to be on a double date was enough to convince fans they were in a serious relationship.
At this point, the couple was not Instagram official, but that changed when Hadid's mother, Yolanda, shared a snap of her daughter blowing out her candles with The Weeknd by her side on Oct. 10.
"Perfect ending to a perfect day with our birthday girl @bellahadid xoxo #WishesDoComeTrue," Yolanda captioned the photo. Keywords: "our birthday girl."
Just days later, The Weeknd confirmed he and Hadid were an item in an interview with Rolling Stone. "I actually asked her to be on the artwork for Beauty Behind the Madness," The Weeknd said of their first interaction. "My motive was literally to work with her."
Hadid turned down the offer, but she agreed to meet with him as friends — and fans know how that turned out.
DECEMBER 2016: Becoming His Muse
Interestingly enough, Hadid ended up becoming The Weeknd's muse despite her initial rejection. She starred in the singer's "In The Night" music video that dropped on Dec. 8.
A day after the MV premiered, Hadid gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at how the magic happened with a snap of her and The Weeknd on set.
FEBRUARY 2016: Red Carpet Debut
Almost a year after they first sparked dating rumors, Hadid and The Weeknd made their first red carpet appearance together at the 58th annual Grammy Awards, shutting down rumors they split over the holidays.
"This is YOUR day baby! I'm so proud of you ❤️I feel so lucky to be by your side 👑," Hadid captioned a photo of them on IG.
The stars took their picture-perfect poses all the way to their seats inside, as they huddled close for the cameras.
Hadid later gushed about their relationship in an August 2016 interview with Glamour. "As a girlfriend, I wanted to be there to support him," she said. "Seeing him so happy when he won a Grammy made me so happy."
MARCH 2016: Turning Up the PDA
Following the Grammys, The Weeknd supported Hadid at the Daily Front Row’s Fashion Los Angeles Awards on March 20. Throughout the night, the singer held her hand and kissed her cheek in front of the camera.
Speaking with E! News, Hadid said his small displays of affection were more than welcome. "It's nice to have a support system like that and he's so great, so I'm happy he's here," she said.
APRIL 2016: Keeping It Casual
The stars kept their public dates going, as they were spotted a few weeks later sitting court-side at a Lakers game on April 13, whispering, laughing, and sharing a few drinks.
MAY 2016: All Glammed Up
Nothing says Hollywood's "It couple" like attending the Met Gala together. The stars turned heads when they arrived at the prestigious event on May 2 wearing matching, black Givenchy ensembles.
November 2016: A Not-So-Awkward Run-In
It was smooth sailing for a few months until People reported The Weeknd and Hadid split on Nov. 10. Weeks later, the stars both took the stage at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Nov. 30, where they kept things totally professional. While Hadid walked the runway during The Weeknd's performance, they snuck each other glances.
"There is no awkwardness. He is my best friend, and I am excited because I am walking during his performance," Hadid told E! News.
JULY 2018: Better Together
Two years after their breakup, the Weeknd and Hadid were reportedly spotted making out at the Magnum x Alexander Wang VIP Party in May 2018, sparking rumors they were back together. The stars fueled speculation further by making appearances in each other's IG stories while in Tokyo that July.
However, it wasn't until Hadid's 22nd birthday when the couple became Instagram official again. In her birthday post on Oct. 16, Hadid paid tribute to all the important people in her life, including the Weeknd. "Thank u to my baby, my beautiful family and friends for making this surprise so special. This was the best day ever( EVER).. thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes. I feel so lucky, I can’t believe it 🖤," she wrote.
Weeks later, the stars wore Beetlejuice couples costumes to Heidi Klum's annual Halloween party, making their first official public appearance together in two years.
Fans took their public interactions as a sure sign they were boyfriend and girlfriend again.
MARCH 2019: The Final Couple Selfie
For the next few months, the pair seemed to be going strong. They spent Valentine's Day together and celebrated the Weekend's 29th birthday with his entire family. At the end of March, Hadid showed her beau some love on IG by sharing a selfie of the two lying in bed.
Little did fans know, it would be their final picture on IG as a couple, because they split that August.
The Present
The Weeknd and Hadid haven't been pictured together since their breakup. There have been rumors they caught up with one another as friends at Hadid's 23rd birthday party in New York in October 2019, but you know what they say: Pics or it didn't happen.
