Meet Jo Jo, Body Positive Model and Cousin of Gigi and Bella
It's hard to believe it's only been a few years since Gigi and Bella Hadid broke into the modeling world, with a rise that can only be described as meteoric. We already knew good genes run in the family thanks to model mom Yolanda, but apparently that applies to extended family across the pond as well. This morning, our friends over at InStyle stumbled across a closely-resembling cousin of Gigi and Bella who happens to be a model in Holland: Joann van den Herik, daughter of one of Yolanda's siblings (her maiden name is van den Herik). She's signed with International Model Management and 12+ UK Model Management.
A quick scroll through Joann's Instagram account—already at over 30K followers—reveals that she's worth following, and not just for her familial relations. Joann frequently posts body-positive messages encouraging others to embrace their imperfections. She pens endearingly honest captions about waking up in a bad mood, and feeling down about herself, which is refreshing given today's beautiful filter-laden culture (anyone who follows her cousins might suspect might be tempted to think that they never have a bad day in their life).
One post reads: "I have fatrolls, I have stretch marks. It's so easy to look in the mirror and feel disgusted by the things you don't like, but I don't want to do that anymore. I don't wanna hide my 'ugly' side, I want to show it more often, because I've accepted it. I love my body. Guys and girls, it doesn't matter if you don't have a sixpack, or a size zero. You're just as beautiful as everyone. Don't try to compare or compete with others, your body is a temple which you should care and love for. Don't let your mind bully your body. Nowadays, people make it feel like it's a shame to be fat and that if you're not a size 0, you shouldn't show your body. F* them!!! Show your body, love your body, embrace your body no matter what size you are. Your body loves YOU, so love it back."
We couldn't agree more. Check out Joann's page here, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for this beauty.
