Bella Hadid’s ‘very conservative’ Christian cowboy unmasked: Liberal supermodel ‘hanging out’ with wealthy Republican hunk… who has earned a telling nickname in the Rocky Mountains

For Bella Hadid, it seems the way to heal heartbreak over one cowboy is to seek the solace of another.

When the supermodel reportedly split from professional equestrian Adan Banuelos in January, there was no public announcement to mark the collapse of two years together. Theirs was an ending dealt with in silence.

And it appears Hadid, 29, is deploying that same quiet tactic when it comes to who she’s chosen to help her move on.

For the famously liberal Hadid, a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of Palestine and staunch advocate for trans rights, has been hanging out with a very conservative Christian cowboy, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.

Intrigued was first sparked back in February when the sylphlike model was spotted strolling through Milan with a Stetson-clad, mustachioed mystery man on her arm. That man is Nathan Lacy, a 38-year-old equestrian-loving project manager from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Lacy hails from a well-known local family who have a reputation for being ‘very Catholic, very conservative and very red,’ one well-placed insider tells us. 

The powerful Lacy clan own a construction company in Crested Butte, the small ski town not far from ritzy Aspen and with a population of just 1,692 that they have called home for five generations.

According to our insider, Lacy – whose family also own land in Texas – has earned a reputation as a ‘local heartthrob’.

And, despite recent rumors of reconciliation efforts between Hadid and Banuelos – with the pair seen together as recently as this spring – Hadid has been spotted lately around Crested Butte.

‘She does have someone she’s hanging out with, but he’s just someone she’s getting to know,’ said a second source. ‘So don’t get too excited about it. I think she’s just trying to have a companion, she’s not trying to get married, she’s not trying to make this more than it is.

‘The Adan thing took a lot out of her, she really loved him, he loved her, it didn’t work. She was hurt and it took some time for her to get past it. She had said she wasn’t going to get into a relationship for at least a year, just to keep herself from going through it again.’

After meeting in late 2023, Hadid and horseman Banuelos ‘went public’ with their romance in February the following year.

The Los Angeles-raised runway model said she found the slower pace of life in Texas to be grounding, and soon she had gone full cowgirl. She bought a ranch in Fort Worth, was competing in horsing events and even celebrated one birthday in a stables.

After their reported split this January, Banuelos was arrested for public intoxication in Weatherford, and was released the same day after paying a $386 bond, according to the police records.

Six months later, Hadid is believed to have spent the Fourth of July weekend in Lacy’s hometown. She posed for a photo with staff at local French restaurant Soupçon, which was later shared on Instagram.

‘He makes her happy for now, but she’s not talking about him every minute. She’s not acting like this is anything more than a very good friend who she is getting to know,’ our second insider said.

Clearly, their mutual respect runs deep enough to withstand differing political views.

Lacy has been a registered Republican since 2009, according to voting records. His father Bill Jr, who founded the family business Lacy Construction LTD, is also a registered Republican, while his mother appears to be a Democrat.

Hadid has been a vocal critic of President Trump. She famously endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election, but did not endorse Kamala Harris in 2024, perhaps due to Harris’s support for Israel.

Hadid, whose father Mohamed is Palestinian, has been a fierce critic of the Israeli government.

‘My heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood,’ she wrote on Instagram in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 terrorist massacre.

‘Seeing the aftermath from the [retaliatory] airstrikes in Gaza, I mourn with all the mothers who have lost children and the children who cry alone, all the lost fathers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, friends that will never again walk this earth.’

Hadid has also been an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, signing an open letter ‘standing in solidarity with transgender women and girls’ to mark Transgender Day of Visibility in 2021.

So what do the liberal supermodel and conservative cowboy have in common?

‘She does have a type – the rugged handsome cowboy, outdoors, not impressed with fashion or style. Just a guy,’ said the insider. ‘That’s what she always says, “I want a guy.” She wants someone who seems blue collar. She wants him to look the part and to have a strong work ethic.’

Since her breakup, Hadid has stayed living primarily on her ranch in Fort Worth. The Lacy family purchased a $1.65million property on a 34-acre plot just 20miles west of the city back in 2020, per public records.

Hadid has also participated in equestrian competitions including National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) events, in which Lacy’s father is also a keen competitor.

Whether Lacy will become Hadid’s next love interest remains to be seen.

‘I don’t know whether he will stick around,’ one insider said. ‘But right now she seems to like him a lot, and he likes her. They’re hanging out.’

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Hadid for comment.