Gigi Hadid breaks silence on Bradley Cooper relationship

Originally appeared on E! Online

Gigi Hadid is in relationship bliss.

More than a year after debuting her relationship with Bradley Cooper, the model is finally pulling back the curtain and sharing an inside look at her relationship with the Academy Award nominee.

“I respect him so much as a creative,” Hadid told Vogue in an interview published Mar. 11. “And I feel that he gives so much to me: encouragement and, just, belief. 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? You jump and take the leap.”

But when it comes to her romance with Cooper — who she says she met at a backyard birthday party for a mutual friend’s child — it was much less of a leap and more a kind of homecoming.

“I think just getting to the point where knowing what you want and deserve in a relationship is essential,” she 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.”

READ: Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid Enjoy Rare Outing at Philadelphia Eagles Game

And while Hadid — who shares 4-year-old Khai with ex Zayn Malik — describes her relationship as “very romantic and happy,” the 29-year-old isn’t likely to suddenly become an open book about Bradley. As she noted, “It’s just not part of our relationship to share for whatever reason.”

After all, as someone who’s grown up in the public eye, Hadid has learned to roll with the media punches. “You just have to let it go,” she explained. “You can’t always correct everything.”

Throughout the last year, Hadid and Cooper — who shares daughter Lea, 7, with ex Irina Shayk — have remained tight-lipped about their romance, opting for lowkey outings instead of revealing interviews. Among those now-beloved outings for the New York-based couple are theater shows.

“Bradley has opened me up to going to the theater more,” Hadid added, “and that’s something that’s so nice to bring back into my life.”

In fact, carving out that space for them as a couple — even crossing paths in the first place — is not an easy feat as two highly recognizable celebrities.

“You want to give yourself a normal experience of dating,” Hadid explained. “Even for my friends who aren’t public figures, that’s hard. Where do you go? And, what? You just start talking to people?”

She added, “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.”

But despite any added scrutiny or precautions they may need to take to maintain privacy, the model wouldn’t have it any other way.

As she noted, “I just feel really lucky.”

PHOTOS: Bradley Cooper, Gigi Hadid