Hailey Baldwin spoke publicly for the first time about her engagement to Justin Bieber, telling Australian magazine Stellar that she is not letting critics of the couple’s relationship get to her.
“I’m beyond excited!” the model, 21, said in the interview published on Sunday, September 2.
When asked if the increased scrutiny of her personal life bugs her, she replied, “I don’t think it’s affected me really. I have learned to just try my best to ignore the negativity at this time so that I can enjoy this season of my life.”
As Us Weekly previously reported, the couple got engaged on July 7, after the “Sorry” singer, 24, proposed while they were on vacation in the Bahamas. The engagement news came just weeks after Us exclusively revealed that they were hooking up again after previously dating from 2015 to 2016.
Baldwin also spoke in the interview about how “flattering” it is to be considered a role model. “The fact that young girls look up to me truly blows my mind,” she said. “I just hope I can continue to have something of substance to offer them.”
As Us reported earlier this week, Bieber has put his troubled past behind him and has a new attitude since Baldwin came back into his life.
“Justin is really in love with Hailey. He loves that she is super chill and down to do anything,” an insider told Us. “Hailey has calmed Justin down a lot, and she has changed him as a man. He thinks she is his forever and considers her his best friend and soulmate.”
The insider added that the singer, who had several run-ins with police in recent years, “is over his crazy phase” now, and that’s something another source told Us is thanks in large part to Baldwin.
“Hailey actually is running the show and has a lot of control in their relationship,” the source told Us last month. “Justin really listens to her and trusts her.”
