Gigi Hadid deletes Instagram Story defending Varun Dhawan, netizens say 'PR request backfired'

After supermodel Gigi Hadid took down her Instagram Story in which she defended Varun Dhawan for taking her in his arms and kissing her, Reddit users discussed that it might be the "PR cleanup".

Hyderabad: American supermodel Gigi Hadid attended the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai along with other guests this weekend. During an NMACC event, Varun Dhawan called Gigi Hadid to the stage, spun her around, and planted a kiss on her cheek. However, after receiving criticism for doing the same, Varun labeled it a "planned" gimmick and Gigi stood up for him saying that she got to fulfill her Bollywood dreams. But she removed that specific Instagram Story hours before it could automatically disappear on its own.

Some people were not pleased with this, and they expressed their opinions on it on Reddit. Several of them have referred to it as a "PR cleanup" to save Varun's reputation and the stakes involved at the star-studded Nita Mukesh Ambani Culture Centre launch. One of the Reddit users pointed out that her other Instagram Stories, including the one calling Karn Johar a legend, are still up, but only that particular story has been erased by her. Soon after, several people claimed that it was all a PR cleanup.

Some people also claimed that Gigi's brief appearance on stage may have been pre-planned but not the entire scene of Varun kissing her. According to a Reddit user, Varun Dhawan lifting up Gigi Hadid, spinning her, and kissing her cheek without her consent is the most awkward and pathetic thing. "What's worse is that he and his PR team—who can't spell simple words—are attempting to give the impression that it was pre-planned. I knew that Gigi's entire story was either an attempt at damage management or a PR request that backfired when she deleted it," the user said.