Bella Hadid Finally Opens Up About Her Split From The Weeknd

Bella Hadid is finally opening up about her split from The Weeknd.

The 20-year-old Victoria’s Secret model covers the latest issue of Teen Vogue and in a revealing interview, she admits she will always love and respect her ex, despite their romance coming to an end last year.

Bella Hadid and The Weeknd (pictured in June 2016)

“It was my first breakup — or second, next to the horse — and so public,” she told the magazine. “As an outsider, you might think I handled it so well, but it’s always in your heart, and you always feel it very heavily. It’ll be hard for a while. Love hurts, but you have to pull through.”

The horse Bella was referring to is named Lego and the model describes him as her first true love. Bella had previously dreamed of becoming an Olympic equestrian, but had to give up the sport at 16 after her Lyme disease diagnosis.

More: Bella Hadid Runs Into Ex The Weeknd

“I rotated between a few horses that could jump higher or whatever. But Lego was my main, my ride or die,” Bella said. “When I had to sell him, it was like a breakup! I was really traumatised.”

Reflecting again on her breakup with The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), Bella added: “I’ll always respect him, and I’ll always love him. Sometimes you want to be sad about it or handle it differently, but at the end of the day, you never want to burn a bridge that you’ve fought so hard to build.”