How Gigi Hadid dealt with being manhandled in Milan: 'I have every right to defend myself'

Supermodel Gigi Hadid has defended her actions after elbowing a man – who grabbed her on the streets of Milan without permission – in the face. The 21-year-old, who is dating Zayn Malik, addressed the scary incident on Twitter, reminding fans that she is human.

In the footage making the rounds, Hadid can be seen leaving the Max Mara show at Milan Fashion week with her sister Bella, when she is unexpectedly lifted in the air by a man wearing a blue blazer and white shirt.

Hadid's security prevents her from pursuing him after she lashes and out and fights him off.

After facing criticism for reacting with anger, she thanked a fan who offered support on social media. "THANK YOU Rachel. To unknown article writer: fan?!!! The ACTUAL fans that were there can tell you what happened, " she wrote on Twitetr. "I'm a HUMAN BEING and had EVERY RIGHT to defend myself. How dare that idiot thinks he has the right to man-handle a complete stranger. He ran quick tho "

The man that picked Hadid up is believed to be Vitalii Sediuk, a Ukrainian prankster, who rose to notoriety for causing a ruckuses at A-list events.

He explained his actions in a post on his Instagram page. "While I consider Gigi Hadid beautiful, she and her friend Kendall Jenner, have nothing to do with high fashion. By doing this I encourage fashion industry to put true talents on the runway and Vogue covers instead of well-connected cute girls from Instagram.

He continued: "You can call it a manifest or a protest. This is also a wake-up call for Anna Wintour who turned Vogue into tabloid by putting Kardashians and other doubtful celebrities on a cover of a well-respected magazine". #mfw #gigihadid#annawintour

In May 2012, he was slapped by Will Smith on the red carpet for Men in Black 3 in Moscow, Russia, after attempting to kiss him on the lips during an interview.

In 2014 the Ugly Betty star America Ferrera fell victim to the prankster at the Cannes Film Festival, who decided it would be a good idea to put his head under her skirt at the premiere of How To Train Your Dragon 2.

You may recall that the Sacha Baron Cohen wannabe also famously put his face into Bradley Cooper's crotch at the Sag Awards.