"Fake friends believe in rumors. Real friends believe in you."
As Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans know, that famous tagline from Yolanda Hadid spoke volumes as she appeared on the hit Bravo show.
For four seasons, the supermodel and famous mother of Gigi, Bella and Anwar Hadid found herself opening the good, bad and downright painful moments of her life in front of millions.
What may have been the most hurtful, however, was when some of her co-stars questioned the severity of her Lyme Disease. In her new book Believe Me, Yolanda addresses her chronic pain as well as her marital struggles with David Foster. And yes, she keeps it real when discussing some of her Bravo co-stars.
We perused through the book for just some of the many honest confessions from Yolanda. Here's a preview of what fans can expect.
Joining the Real Housewives Franchise: When she received an offer to join the show, Yolanda consulted with her family including her three children. "Although they're not thrilled about the thought of having cameras in our home, they understand my motive and say they'll support whatever choice I make," she explained. "I am asked to watch the previous seasons of the Housewives to get up to date on the story line but I choose not to. I want to meet each woman in an authentic way and form my own impressions…Looking back, this is a mistake, because it takes me a long time to catch up in real life."
Reacting to Anwar Hadid's Lyme Disease Diagnosis: "When I see the pictures of the spirochetes on his Fry Labs results, my anxiety goes from one to a hundred in mere seconds. My baby! How could this be possible?" Yolanda wrote when learning of her son's diagnosis. "A wave of helplessness washes over me. I am totally pain-stricken. How can I cure Anwar if I can't cure myself? Once I get over the initial shock, I settle my thoughts and take control of the situation in good Capricorn fashion." Her daughter Bella would also be diagnosed with the disease.
Filming While in Pain: On many occasions, Yolanda barely had enough energy to get out of bed. As a result, you can imagine the difficulty of having to shoot and film for a reality show. During one magazine shoot at Kyle Richards' home, Yolanda recalls the lack of empathy among her co-stars. "I'm having a really bad day with that earth-pulling exhaustion, where I can't even put one foot in front of the other. Rather than go into Kyle's house, where all the girls are doing hair and makeup, I choose to lie down in the backseat of the car to conserve my energy until they're ready for me on set," she wrote. "It's strange to me, because if someone was sitting in my driveway and not feeling well, I would go out and say, 'How are you? Why don't you come into the house, take the guest room, and relax until we start?'" Ultimately, Brandi Glanville was the only castmate who came outside to see her.
Befriending Avril Lavigne: After the "It's Complicated" singer was diagnosed with Lyme disease, Yolanda was more than open to reaching out and sharing stories. As it turns out, she was able to get a clear view of how much Avril was suffering. "One day Avril stops by my house with her mom for a cup of tea. Her light sensitivity from Lyme is so severe that she can't even take her sunglasses off when we are sitting in the living room, even though my blinds are closed," Yolanda recalled. "Avril's mother has been taking care of her, and I can see the fear in her eyes."
Bella Hadid's DUI: While on vacation with Kyle, Yolanda received a call from David who was the first to inform her that Bella was arrested for a DUI. "I can't catch my breath, and the adrenaline starts rushing through my body. It's like a train ran over my heart," Yolanda shared. "My 'what if?' button goes from one to ten in a spit second because my greatest fear has always been the thought of losing one of my children in a car accident the way I lost my father…I've devastated by Bella's choices but she is safe."
About Those Munchausen Rumors: Through much of her final season on Real Housewives, Yolanda was accused of having Munchausen Syndrome. It left her more than a little confused and hurt. "That is such a hurtful word, it infuriates me. Why would anyone make such a distorted and untrue statement related to my health journey? Especially in front of my friends and millions of viewers?" she wrote. "It's simply unconscionable that my supposed 'friends' doubt and discredit my word on such a delicate and sensitive matter. But a thousand times worse and more hurtful is when they say that Anwar and Bella don't have Lyme."
Headed to Divorce: While Yolanda writes about several warning signs that her marriage is on the rocks, David's remark that "your sick card is up" leaves the Bravo star almost at a loss for words. "After having a front-row seat to my journey, he's actually saying that I used a SICK CARD? Who is he talking to? Who is influencing him? How did he come up with such an unkind statement? I don't deserve this," Yolanda wrote. "If roles were reversed and David was sick, I would stick by him."
Believe Me: My Battle With the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease is available now.