Hailey Bieber Has Had Quite The Transformation

Hailey Bieber may be known to many as Justin Bieber's wife, but the entrepreneur achieved immense success long before her last name changed. Hailey is what many consider a "nepo baby, " a slang term for kids of very famous parents. While some see the term as a certain kind of privilege, it's not something the model shies away from. Instead, she embraces it, proudly wearing it on a crop top acknowledging that her very famous father, Stephen Baldwin, helped her skip a few ladders on the road to fame and fortune.

Like her bestie, Kendall Jenner, the Arizona native used her last name to get in the door as a model, skyrocketing to become the face of several major designers. Hailey has graced many catwalks and runways in her career, but her true passions lie in her efforts as a businesswoman. Years ago as a teenager, she was already itching to build her own identity. "I couldn't wait to just adult," she told GQ. "I was young, eyes wide open, super independent, couldn't wait to move out, couldn't wait to make my own money."

After growing up and making a career for herself, Hailey is under the spotlight for different reasons. Marrying one of the world's biggest pop stars has come with its fair share of challenges, ones that she's been candid about overcoming. From being raised in the spotlight to honing in on her passions as a business owner, Hailey has had quite the transformation over the years.

Hailey Bieber was thrust into the spotlight at an early age, with her father Stephen Baldwin being the youngest in a long line of Baldwins known for their successful acting and producing ventures. Baldwin is well-known in Hollywood for his work acting in films like "The Usual Suspects" and "Bio-Dome."

While the model was aware of her family's Hollywood reputation growing up, Hailey said her parents never treated her differently because of it. "That was always a reality," she told Fashion. "But because of the way my parents raised my sister and me, that was always separate — that was Dad's work life. When we were home, we were just home, hanging out."

Her parents were a grounding presence in her life, and she has posted tributes to the pair on her social media thanking them for shaping the adult she became. "My parents are absolutely everything to me. They inspire me every day and I only hope one day to have a marriage, friendship, and foundation they have. Wouldn't be who I am today without them," she wrote in a 2015 Instagram post.

Not only is Hailey Bieber a nepo baby due to her dad's stature in Hollywood, but Bieber's mother, Kennya, was also well-connected in the industry. Bieber's maternal grandfather was the Brazilian Grammy Award-winning musician, Eumir Deodato. Deodato famously produced and wrote hundreds of songs for artists and for soundtracks of movies, including 1980's "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang, which earned a spot in the Grammy Hall of Fame for its cultural prominence over the decades.

It turns out that the model is half-Brazilian, with her mother's side of the family hailing from the Latin American country. Bieber embraces her Portuguese culture, even speaking a bit of the language herself. In a segment of "The Late Late Show With James Corden," she explained that her mother and grandmother are constantly speaking Portuguese in front of her, and while she's able to understand the language, her speaking skills are limited.

That being said, she has picked up how to flirt in Portuguese. Bieber showed off her skills in the interview, teaching Corden and his co-hosts how to say, "Shut up and kiss me," in her mother's native language. She also posted various photos from her husband's tour stop in Brazil, showing off some famous South American food and sweets from the trip. "I love you Brazil. I'll be back soon, I promise," she wrote in her Instagram caption.

At just 16 years old, Hailey Bieber started her career in the modeling world. Bieber signed with the renowned Ford Models agency in 2014, where her career began to take off. The following years, she was photographed for the likes of Vogue, Wonderland, and L'Officiel, as well as being the face of giant brands, like Ralph Lauren. She also took her talents to the runway, strutting her stuff for brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Zadig & Voltaire. 

"My favorite part [of modeling] is being able to see something come to life. When you're doing a shoot, you're always trying to tell a story. Seeing that story come to life, and being able to show clothes in a different way and tell that story, has been really fun," Bieber told V Magazine. While she found her passion in modeling, the Rhode founder admitted she swapped pointe shoes for stilettos after a career-ending injury prevented her from pursuing ballet. As a teenager, Bieber trained at the renowned American Ballet Theatre for years before she tried her hand at being in front of the camera. 

The model still feels nostalgia for her days as a dancer, even mentioning it in one of her TikTok videos advertising a hair product in her Rhode Beauty line. In the clip, she wore a dance outfit and slicked her hair back in a hair-sprayed bun, writing in the caption: "taking me back to my ballet days."

Long before they tied the knot, Hailey and Justin Bieber had a years-long friendship that eventually developed into a romantic relationship. The pair first crossed paths in 2009 when she was just 12 years old on the set of the "Today" show, thanks to an introduction from Stephen Baldwin. "We've been enjoying your music," said Baldwin in the clip, unaware that nearly a decade later the pair would tie the knot.

The story goes that after first meeting years before, they crossed paths once again at their shared church, Hillsong. "One day Justin walked into Hillsong and was like, 'Hey, you got older,'" Hailey told Vogue. "I was like, 'Yeah, what's up?' Over time he became my best guy friend. I was running around with him as his homie, but we weren't hanging out [romantically]."

Hailey and Justin briefly dated each other from 2015 into 2016 while the pop star was on a break from his longtime on-again-off-again girlfriend, Selena Gomez. The pair attended church together, vacationed together, and rang in the New Year together, all the while denying rumors that they had a romantic relationship. This changed, however, and the pair later admitted they had strong feelings for each other. But Hailey told E! News back in 2016 that she and Justin were "not an exclusive couple," adding, "He's about to go on tour." After splitting up that year, the two would later reconnect.

Despite her success on the catwalk, Hailey Bieber made the decision to stop pursuing a career as a runway model. She took to Instagram in 2018, posting a photo of herself walking in the 2018 Zadig & Voltaire show and drawing a circle over her arm writing (via W): "What I do know is that ur arm truly should never swing this high when ur walking on a runway," adding, "Hence why it is not, and will never be my thing again lol."

In a later interview with Allure, Bieber admitted she stopped doing runway shows after she realized she would much rather watch them than walk in them. "I had a really bad experience with a casting director who was very important," she remembered. "He said something to my agent that just shook my confidence when it came to the runway. I don't want to feel bad about myself in this space because I feel really good about the other work that I do. So why would I even put myself in a position to feel small?"

Regardless of her decision to step off the runway, Bieber achieved an immense amount of success walking for brands as a five-foot-seven-inches model. She bid farewell to her runway modeling career in 2018 when she took to the catwalk for Versace for the final time.

After reconciling in 2018, Hailey and Justin Bieber quickly got engaged and later tied the knot, breaking the hearts of many Beliebers and Seleners. The "Baby" singer had been spotted out with his ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez, just months before, having fans wondering what led to his decision to marry Hailey. Amidst the speculation, Justin took to Instagram to announce the news of their engagement. "My heart is COMPLETELY and FULLY YOURS and I will ALWAYS put you first! You are the love of my life Hailey Baldwin and I wouldn't want to spend it with anybody else. You make me so much better and we compliment each other so well!!" he raved in his caption. 

The singer credited divine intervention and spirituality for reunifying the pair and solidifying their relationship. Months after their wedding, Hailey admitted that the pair continued to work on their marriage to help make it stronger, and even met with a therapist through tough times. "The thing is, marriage is very hard. That is the sentence you should lead with. It's really effing hard," the model told Vogue in 2019.

All roads lead back to the church for the two, who credit their religion for keeping them together. "Being able to share that with each other — to have that bond of faith and spirituality — is so [critical] for us," Hailey explained to Elle. "Following Jesus together, being a part of the church community together. It's everything."

Like many celebrities, Hailey Bieber has dealt with rumors suggesting that she has had work done. From lip fillers to rhinoplasty, the list is long as to what some fans believe the model to have gone under the knife for. But Bieber has been quick to shut down the rumor mill, coming out time and time again to deny ever having undergone plastic surgery.

After a fan posted a side-by-side image of the model from 2011 and 2020, highlighting her dramatic transformation, Bieber clapped back in the comments of the since-removed post. "Stop using pics that are edited by makeup artists! This photo on the right is NOT what I look like ... I've never touched my face, so if you're gonna sit around and compare me at 13 and then me at 23, at least use a natural photo that wasn't edited so crazy," she quipped back (via Teen Vogue).

Bieber even took it a step further in 2020 after E! News reported she threatened to sue a plastic surgeon after he posted a TikTok video accusing her of undergoing multiple procedures. In the TikTok, Dr. Daniel Barrett compared photos of the model and said: "I think it's physically impossible without getting a little bit of help from someone like myself to go from this picture to that picture." Justin Bieber also sued the doctor for using his song, "Sorry," in the background of the clip. Justin and Hailey's attorneys sent Barrett a cease and desist letter, accusing him of slander and defamation.

Victoria's Secret came under fire over the brand's exclusivity, with its models often representing an elite group of slender, tall, women that don't represent the majority of the female population in terms of physical features. With major competition stemming from brands like Savage X Fenty by Rihanna, viewers called into question the representation of the brand, leading the lingerie giant to cancel its famous yearly "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" in 2019 to focus on rebranding.

The lingerie line announced the launch of Victoria's Secret's VS Collective, replacing the several VS Angels that were the brand's face for decades. At the forefront of the new brand was Hailey Bieber, who shared her decision to model for the company via Instagram in 2021. "I am so happy to announce that I am joining the @victoriassecret #VSCollective — a platform for strong women to use their voice in an authentic way. Looking forward to partnering with VS on [this journey] and all to come!" she wrote at the time.

Bieber joined the likes of Bella Hadid, Megan Rapinoe, and Naomi Osaka as founding members of VS Collective. "I'm humbled to be in the company of these amazing women, many of whom have inspired me in countless ways with their own stories," read her statement on the Victoria's Secret website. "I look forward to helping to create positive change as part of the VS collective."

Hailey Bieber had a life-changing medical emergency in 2022. The model revealed that she had a ministroke due to Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), a condition that resulted from a small hole in her heart occurring at birth that didn't properly close. Bieber explained in a video (via Billboard) that the incident happened while she was having breakfast with her husband, and she was later transferred to the hospital and informed that a small blood clot had made its way to her heart. "Justin was like, 'Are you okay?' and I just didn't respond because I wasn't sure. And then he asked me again and when I went to respond, I couldn't speak. The right side of my face started drooping. I couldn't get a sentence out," she recounted.

Bieber took to her Instagram story (via Billboard) on the one-year anniversary of the health scare to share more details. "Given that it's the 1-year mark from such a life-changing event, I wanted to share all the information I've learned about PFO and share resources to donate," she wrote, adding that PFO is "the most common congenital heart defect" that occurs in "20% of all people."

She also revealed that dealing with PFO had traumatic effects on her mental health. "It was just a feeling that I was, like, I never want to experience that ever again. It was so terrifying, so jarring, so discombobulating in every single way that you could imagine," she admitted on "The Run-Through with Vogue" podcast.

Hailey Bieber wears many hats — and we're not just talking about fashion. The former runway model not only graces the covers of magazines but also runs her own company. Bieber launched Rhode in 2022, a skincare and beauty line that features a wide range of products, from lip peptides to facial cleansers. "I just could always remember my mom, as a child, getting [me] out of the bath, drenching me head to toe, just hydration, hydration, hydration, very focused on keeping the skin healthy," she told Allure ahead of the launch.

But despite being the face of the company, she isn't in charge of formulating the products. Instead, she focuses more on the product design. "I think the biggest thing for me is I do understand that there are certain things that I don't know how to do and I try to be really open about that," she explained, adding that she leans on other celebrities with skincare lines for advice, like Kim Kardashian.

Rhode is also relatively affordable, thanks to Bieber's market research. No single item exceeds $30, excluding kits that come as a package. "I know what I want to give to people," she explained to WSJ. "The whole ethos of my brand is access to really good quality products that are really affordable. I just don't see why a $200 cream has to be the answer to good skin."

The Internet did not want Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez to be friends. At least, that's the way it looks with fans constantly pitting the two against each other. Viewers have stalked their social media feeds to try to find proof that the two are shading each other, when in reality, the two have come out multiple times to deny the beef.

In 2022, Bieber uploaded a TikTok video after incessant comments on social media from Gomez fans accusing her of bullying the singer. "I don't do anything. I don't say anything. Leave me alone, please. Enough time has gone by where it's valid to leave me alone. I beg of you, truly. That's my only request. Leave me alone. Be miserable somewhere else, please." The drama ramped up again in 2023 when Kylie Jenner and Bieber were accused of making fun of Gomez's TikTok video, which had the Internet up in arms again about potential beef between the model and the "Calm Down" singer.

Jenner denied any wrongdoing by their video, and even Gomez chimed in to agree, writing (via Buzzfeed News), "Agreed @kyliejenner It's all unnecessary." After months of Internet noise, Bieber denied there being any beef in her interview with Bloomberg, saying: "I don't think that this is about me, Hailey Bieber, and Selena Gomez — this pitting between two women and division between two women," Bieber said. "It's about the vile, disgusting hatred that can come from completely made-up and twisted and perpetuated narratives."

The barrage of online hate over the alleged fight with Selena Gomez took a toll on Hailey Bieber's mental health. She took to her Instagram story in April 2023 to dish on just how difficult her year had been, revealing (via Teen Vogue) that she has trouble admitting when she is at her breaking point.

"Truthfully since 2023 started I have had some of the saddest, hardest moments I've ever had in my adult life and my mind and emotions have been fragile to say the least," she explained. "And I know so many other people feel the same way I feel, so just know you're not alone." Bieber called on her followers to be more supportive to each other, and lift each other up in times of need. "Let's just be there for people.. let's keep showing up for each other even when it's hard. We're better together," she added. 

The model's story came shortly after Gomez publicly defended her amidst the ongoing backlash by Internet trolls who believed she was feuding with the "Wizards of Waverly Place" star. "Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity," Gomez wrote on her Instagram story (via Teen Vogue) the previous month. "This isn't what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying."

Will fans be seeing Justin and Hailey Bieber pushing a baby stroller down the Sunset Strip anytime soon? Although Hailey and Justin have expressed wanting a family in the past, the model admitted that she has reservations about welcoming a new addition. Having grown up with famous parents herself, Hailey explained that she's nervous about how fame would affect a future child of hers. "I literally cry about this all the time," Hailey said in a 2023 interview with the Sunday Times. "I want kids so bad but I get scared. It's enough that people say things about my husband or my friends. I can't imagine having to confront people saying things about a child." 

While Hailey's parents mostly shielded her from the spotlight growing up, that idea seems impossible for the Biebers, given the incredible star power between her and her pop star husband. "Maybe I liked the idea at 18 of not raising kids around certain things, but my life is so different now than it was when I was 18," she told GQ in 2023. But despite her doubts, the model confirmed that motherhood is "something that's going to come when it comes." She went on to clap back at her haters, adding, "And it's just, honestly, at the end of the day, so hilarious how much people f***ing care. Let me do what I want to do with my body and you guys can do what you want to do with your body — and let's just let it be that."