According to numerous reports, model Gigi Hadid and her friend were both arrested and charged with possessing marijuana after disembarking from a private plane at the Cayman Islands’ Owen Roberts International Airport, despite Gigi’s rep confirming it was purchased legally in New York City with a medical license.
The duo reportedly flew to the territory from the United States for a girls’ trip last week. But once they touched down at the airport on July 10 and attempted to go through customs with their luggage, agents from the Customs and Border Control team found a small amount of marijuana and smoking utensils, according to local Cayman Island newspaper, Cayman Mal Road.
The publication also stated Gigi and her companion were both arrested “on suspicion of Importation of Ganja and Importation of Utensils used for the consumption of ganja” and were subsequently taken to a prisoner detention center where they were processed and released on bail.
Two days later—on July 12—, Gigi and her friend were formally charged during a court appearance, where they pleaded guilty and were ultimately fined $1,000, though they are not facing any charges.
“Gigi was traveling with marijuana purchased legally in New York City with a medical license. It has also been legal for medical use in Grand Cayman since 2017. Her record remains clear and she enjoyed the rest of her time on the island,” the model’s rep said to E! News in a statement following the incident.
Since the whole situation was resolved, Gigi has been relaxing on her vacation and seems to have put the hiccup behind her. She hasn’t addressed the news publicly, but she did post an Instagram of her beachy vacay with the caption, “All’s well that ends well.”
Recently, the model made waves after celebrating her friend Taylor Swift and her single “Cruel Summer” with an iconic dance routine on TikTok. The video was posted by Gigi’s pal, photographer Alana O’Herlihy, and it was the embodiment of relatable:
At least Gigi’s got more positive news moments this month too! What a whirlwind.
Assistant news editor
Gretty Garcia is the assistant news editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers all things news, entertainment, and pop culture. Before joining Cosmo, Gretty was a social strategist for Mrs. Dow Jones and a features and special projects editor at Editorialist. She holds an MS from the Columbia Journalism School and studied art history at Harvard College.Â