"I almost threw up." Gigi Hadid commented for the first time on her relationship with Epstein.

Thirty-year-old Gigi Hadid has commented for the first time on her name being implicated in the case of the notorious pedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein. The model responded to a follower who expressed disappointment over her prolonged silence following the publication of Epstein's text messages mentioning the Hadid sisters.

"I almost threw up. It's horrifying to read someone you've never met talking about you like that, especially in that context. I've never met this monster in my life—it was obvious to me that in those conversations he was trying to take credit for people's careers in order to manipulate his victims who never got the jobs he claimed he promised them," E! News quotes Gigi Hadid as saying.

The model's younger sister, Bella Hadid, also explained to a follower why she didn't respond immediately: "I didn't comment because I don't want to distract from the stories of the real victims of his crimes. But your comment made me think that maybe things aren't so obvious—and it's important for you to know: yes, I grew up privileged. But my parents protected me and taught me the value of hard work—the same hard work that helped them move to this country and build their careers."

As a reminder, Jeffrey Epstein died on August 10, 2019, in a Manhattan federal prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The disgraced billionaire, who committed suicide, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of pandering and one count of procuring minors in 2008. He served only 13 months in county jail and was placed on the sex offender registry.

As a reminder, Jeffrey Epstein was found dead before his sentencing on August 10, 2019, in a Manhattan federal prison. The court accused the billionaire of orchestrating a large-scale sex trafficking ring involving young women, including allegedly children. Released court documents revealed the names of many individuals who had contacts with Epstein over decades. These include the disgraced Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Bill Gates. Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell, Kevin Spacey, and Woody Allen were also mentioned in the financier's contacts.

Photo: bellahadid, gigihadid/Instagram**