How Hailey Baldwin Became A Household Name

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin's rumored engagement (at least, if that ring is to be believed) was so sudden and exciting that even my parents heard about it. However, when I asked if they could tell me any more about the bride-to-be, my dad incorrectly offered "Alec Baldwin's daughter" and my mother a resounding "no effing clue." Clearly, we have some explaining to do.

The most important thing to know about Hailey Baldwin is that she was famous well before Bieber and his slippers got down on one knee. While she is related to Alec Baldwin, she spawns from a different member of the famous family. Dad Stephen Baldwin starred in films like Born On The Four Of July and The Usual Suspects before becoming a father to Alaia Baldwin in 1993 and Hailey Baldwin on November 22, 1996, with wife Kennya Deodato (daughter of Brazilian musician Eumir Deodato). It was actually her father who first introduced Hailey to Bieber back in 2009 after a concert.

Like her cousin Ireland Baldwin, the youngest Baldwin's fame comes from modeling after her original passion for ballet was cut short due to a foot injury. Her early career was punctuated by cameos, including one on Saturday Night Live and as the love interest in Australian singer Cody Simpson's "On My Mind" music video in 2011. She made her runway debut in 2014 for Topshop, and a few months later appeared in a short movie for LOVE Magazine.

Her modeling career picked up in the following years, as did her friendship with Bieber. She was notably documented in a 2016 GQ profile of Justin Bieber as "doing nothing" in his hotel room. "No TV, no book, no phone, no computer, no music, no oil paints, nothing," Caity Weaver observed.

Weaver also asked Bieber about Baldwin later in the profile. He initially agrees that she is just a friend he kisses, but later adds that she's "someone I really love. We spend a lot of time together."

The best way to keep up with Baldwin, however, is on Instagram. It's there where she keeps fans updated on her modeling gigs, like her recent shoot with Elle. You can also follow along with her antics with friends like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, as well as Kelia Termini, wife of Bieber friend Joe Termini.

On the big screen, Baldwin appeared in the documentary The American Meme, and has pretty much solidified herself as an influencer, with talents ranging from modeling to opening beer bottles with her teeth.

While she may have re-burst onto the scene now thanks to her engagement, the spotlight has loved Baldwin since day one.