Hailey Bieber says her middle name comes from Greek gods and goddesses
Opening up about how she has always been obsessed with myths and legends, Hailey Bieber has said her middle name Rhode – which she uses for her blockbuster beauty brand – is derived from tales of Greek gods and goddesses.
Hailey Bieber says her middle name is derived from tales of Greek gods and goddesses.
The model and beauty entrepreneur, 26, who married Justin Bieber, 29, in 2018, was born Hailey Rhode Baldwin, with her parents the actor Stephen Baldwin, 57, and his wife Kennya Deodato.
She told GQ Hype she grew up fascinated with myths and legends and found out her middle name – which she uses as the brand name for her best-selling skincare products launched in 2022 – descends from the ancient deity Rhode, who was said to be the protectress and personification of the Dodecanese island of Rhodes.
She was the sea-nymph daughter of Poseidon, the god of the ocean, and a wife of Helios, god of the sun, with some myths claiming the island of Rhodes in Greece was born of their union.
Hailey said about the moniker: “If you go back, back, back and look, it comes from that.”
When Hailey was 18 she would talk about how she was into Greek mythology and in 2015 recommended the ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ as good travel reads, telling W at the time about their Greek poet author: “Homer is fascinating.”
Hailey said about her obsession: “It was my favourite thing I learned in school. I was just so obsessed with the ideas and the stories of these gods and goddesses.”
Hailey was raised north of Manhattan in New York and home-schooled beginning in eighth grade – but she said she couldn’t wait to set out on her own odyssey.
She moved out of her parents’ home at 17, and told GQ: “I couldn’t wait to just adult. I was young, eyes wide open, super independent, couldn’t wait to move out, couldn’t wait to make my own money.”
Hailey also told the magazine home to her can be “anywhere” as long as she’s with her husband Justin and their dogs.
She said: “Home to me feels like I can be anywhere. As long as I’m with my dogs and my husband, I’m good. I can make home out of that anywhere.”
