If you were scrolling through Instagram or watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills around 2017, you probably thought Mohamed Hadid and Shiva Safai were the ultimate endgame. They had the $60 million mansion. They had the private jets. They had that "perfect" age-gap romance that seemed to defy the usual Hollywood expiration date.
But then, it just... stopped.
The engagement ring went back. The red carpet appearances ended. Honestly, in the world of high-stakes Beverly Hills breakups, this one was surprisingly quiet at first, but the reasons behind it are way more relatable—and messy—than the glossy photos suggested. It wasn't just about the 30-year age gap. It was about a fundamental clash over what a "happily ever after" actually looks like.
The Breaking Point: Kids, Loyalty, and the "I Have Enough" Factor
Basically, the biggest reason Mohamed and Shiva called it quits boils down to one thing: children.
Shiva Safai, who was in her late 30s as the relationship reached its breaking point, wanted to be a mother. Mohamed Hadid? Not so much. By the time their relationship hit the seven-year mark, Mohamed was already a father of five. He’d raised Marielle and Alana with his first wife, Mary Butler, and then navigated the global spotlight with Gigi, Bella, and Anwar during his marriage to Yolanda Hadid.
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According to sources close to the couple at the time of their 2019 split, Mohamed reportedly felt he had "enough" on his plate. He was 71. He was watching his daughters become the biggest supermodels on the planet. Starting over with diapers and school runs just wasn't in his blueprint. Shiva, on the other hand, wasn't willing to sacrifice her dream of motherhood for a lifestyle, no matter how many Hermes bags came with it.
The Cheating Rumors That Didn't Help
While the "baby talk" was the official dealbreaker, things got kinda ugly in the tabloids right before the split.
A model named Justyna Monde went public claiming she had a multi-year affair with Mohamed. She even shared text messages that looked pretty incriminating. For Shiva, who had spent years being the loyal, supportive partner during Mohamed’s endless legal battles over his Bel Air "mega-mansion," this was a massive blow.
It’s one thing to compromise on kids; it’s another to do it for a guy who might be straying.
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Where is Shiva Safai Now? (Spoiler: She Moved On Fast)
If you thought Shiva would spend years mourning the Hadid lifestyle, you'd be wrong. She actually handled the breakup with a level of "boss energy" that caught everyone off guard.
Within months of the split being confirmed in December 2019, Shiva went Instagram official with Niels Houweling. He’s a Dutch DJ and producer who is significantly younger than Mohamed—actually, he's 13 years younger than Shiva herself.
They didn't waste any time:
- They got engaged in Amsterdam in August 2020.
- They married in a "surprise" wedding in October 2020 that Niels reportedly planned in just three days.
- Shiva even gave the Hadid family heirloom engagement ring back to Mohamed. She wanted a completely fresh start.
She’s currently living her best life as a "Mrs.," focusing on her skincare ventures and her role as a brand ambassador for luxury labels like Piaget. She proved that you can walk away from a billionaire and still end up with the life you actually wanted.
Mohamed Hadid’s Downward Spiral?
While Shiva was busy getting married, Mohamed was dealing with a literal collapse. His infamous "Starship Enterprise" mansion in Bel Air—the one that caused years of lawsuits because it was built bigger than legal permits allowed—was ordered to be demolished.
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He claimed in court that he was "broke" and couldn't afford the $5 million demolition cost. It was a staggering fall from grace for the man who once built Ritz-Carltons.
Today, Mohamed stays active on social media, mostly posting about his children’s successes and his heritage. He’s still a fixture in the LA social scene, but the era of him and Shiva being the "King and Queen of Bel Air" is firmly in the rearview mirror.
What We Can Learn From the Hadid-Safai Split
Looking back, the Hadid and Shiva era was a classic case of "right person, wrong timing"—or maybe just two people who wanted different things from the start and hoped the other would change.
If you're looking for the "actionable" takeaway here, it's pretty simple: Don't ignore the dealbreakers.
- Be Honest About the Future: If one partner wants kids and the other doesn't, there is no middle ground. You can't have "half a kid." Shiva realized this before it was too late for her to find someone who shared her vision.
- Loyalty is Earned: Shiva stood by Mohamed through massive legal stress, but once respect was lost (via those cheating allegations), the foundation crumbled.
- The "Luxury Trap": It's easy to stay in a relationship because it’s comfortable or high-status. Walking away from that kind of wealth takes a lot of guts.
Shiva Safai chose herself. She chose the possibility of a family over the certainty of a mansion. And honestly? In the messy world of celebrity breakups, that’s a pretty big win.
Next Step for You: If you're following the Hadid family drama, keep an eye on Shiva's business ventures; she's pivoted from "fiancée of" to a legitimate entrepreneur in the beauty space, proving there is plenty of life after Beverly Hills royalty.