Renowned model Bethann Hardison was once the favorite of the best fashion houses in the United States and Europe. She transformed herself from a model to a businesswoman.

Hardison gained notoriety after her appearance at the 1973 Battle of Versailles fashion show and became one of the high-profile models.

Net Worth

Bethann Hardison is estimated to have a net worth of $2 Million which she has amassed from different sources. She has explored many different domains in her professional life.

Hardison mainly gained amounts from her modeling career. She was one of the high-profile models who was the choice of top American and European designers. Additionally, she has also been a producer and an actress.

Hardison owned a modeling agency bearing her name where she scouted many new coming models. She earns a good amount of sum as a businesswoman. In addition to this, Hardison’s son is speculated to have a net worth of $2 Million.

Bethann is living a happy and comfortable life in Brooklynn, New York with all this huge fortune.

How Old Is Bethann Hardison?

Hardison blessed her parents with her arrival on the 30th of September, 1942. She was raised in New York City. As per modern astrologers, her zodiac sign is Libra.

Bethann Hardison in her young days. 1
Bethann Hardison in her young days.
Source: NPR

Hardison is currently in her early eighties and despite her old age, she appears younger than her real age. She still maintains her appearance.

Educational Background

The American Fashionista, Hardison has attended some classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology, however, she did not graduate. Prior to this, she completed high school at George W. Wingate High School. While in high school, she became the first black cheerleader.

Furthermore, Hardison went to the New York University of Art but did not graduate from there. Soon she began to involved in professional life.

Relationship Status

Bethann Hardison is currently living a single life. However, she was married twice which did not last long. She has not discussed the details of her marriage with the public.

One of her husbands is Donald McFadden with whom, she shares a son Kadeem Hardison. Besides this, no other information regarding her love life is disclosed.

Son – Kadeem Hardison

Bethann’s son, Kadeem Hardison is an American actor known for his performance in the TV series Static Shock. He was introduced to the world on the 24th of July, 1965 in Brooklynn and went to junior high school with the Hollywood stars like Robert Downey Jr.

Bethanne Hardisons son Kadeem Hardison 1
Bethann Hardison’s son Kadeem Hardison.
Source: Essence

After three years of marriage, he divorced American singer Chante Moore in 2000. Sophia Hardison is the daughter of the former couple.

Kadeem is a well-known actor and director who has been in numerous projects like Teenage Bounty Hunters, White Men can’t Jump, Black Monday, Rescuing Madison, etc. He has 98 credits as an actor, 3 credits as a director, and 2 credits each as a writer and producer on his IMDb profile.

Bethann’s Parents Were Separated When She Was Still A Child

The American Fashionista Bethann did not have an easy life growing up. She was deprived of her father’s and mother’s love at the same time. She was raised by her mother and grandmother until she was 12 years old.

After that Hardison went to live with her father who worked as a supervisor at the Albany Housing Projects in Crown Heights. Her father is a follower of Muslim who was an advisor to Elijah Muhammad as well as a mentor to Malcolm X.

Had Knack For Style

Bethann loved to wear stylish clothes and had a knack for style since her early days. Her factory boss considered her dressing sense to be too stylish for the work.

Her dressing sense grew more when she started working as a salesperson in the garment district as she was exposed to the fashion world.

Bernie was one of the influencing people in the garment industry whose show determined what clothes to be filled in some of the retail stores had hired Bethann to pose.

Worked In The Garment District Of New York City As A Saleswoman

Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Bethann was involved in all sorts of work. She had accepted the position of Wardress at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for a brief period of time.

Hardison started working as a salesperson in New York City’s garment area later in the 1960s.

Modeling Career – Discovered By African American Designer Willi Smith

Hardison’s modeling career started after she was discovered by the African American designer Willi Smith. She worked for him wearing his designed dress.

A Fashion Muse Turned Fashion Revolutionary: Bethann Hardison.

Later, he introduces Bethann to Bruce Weber who took her pictures every weekend. She also started walking on the ramps.

Hardison’s unique natural beauty which was different from the model from that period cultivated her way high in the modeling world. She became a colored model who was preferred by top European and American designers.

Her career as a model bloomed even more after she made an appearance in the historic Battle of Versailles Fashion Show.

As An Activist

Hardison is an activist who is actively taking part in supporting the colored person. She wants to uplift the lives of African American people.

She supports by raising awareness for issues ranging from homelessness to racism in advertising. In 1991 Her Instagram is filled with her activist image.

Owned Model Agency

As an agent, Bethann worked for Click where she revolutionize the modeling industry. She changed the dominating blonde-hair blue-eyed beauty standards and prioritized natural beauty. Those who embrace their flaws and are confident were welcomed at the agency.

During her time in the Click, she represented teenage Whitney Houston, Talisa Soto, Tahnee Welch, and Elle Macpherson.

Later, Hardison opened her own modeling agency which bears her name in 1984. She started it with seven models with her but it grew up to 75 models which comprised black, Asians, and more.

Hardison has also worked as a consultant on famous fashion brands like Gucci as well as the council of fashion designers of America.

Battle Of Versailles

Five American designers competed against France’s lions of haute couture in a competition that made fashion history and propelled American designers and models of color onto the international stage.

Versailles ’73 Trailer.

One of the models representing America was Bethann. Bethann boldly walked to the end of the runway during Stephen Burrows’ section, tossed her woven, canary-yellow dress’ train to the ground, stopped, and glared defiantly into the crowd. The crowd, which was made up of celebrities and members of society, went wild as she remained motionless at the end of the runway as they celebrated the Americans’ triumph over the French by yelling, stomping, and flinging their programs into the air.

After this, Hardison became more well-known in the fashion and modeling world.

Bethann’s GrandDaughter Is Also Making Her Career In The Entertainment Industry

Bethann’s granddaughter Sophia Hardison is also walking in th footsteps of his family and has entered the entertainment industry.

Betahnn Hardisons granddaughter Sophia Hardison.
Bethann Hardison’s granddaughter Sophia Hardison.
Source: Pinterest

She has two credits for acting on her IMDb profile which are for Unsung and Veins. Like her predecessor, she might one day receive success and fame.

Hardison As A Producer And Actress

Hardison has also made her exposure to the movie industry. She has made her presence as a producer and an actress. As per her IMDb profile, she has 3 credits as a producer which are for the TV series Between Brothers, Livin’ Large, and Battle of Versailles.

Similarly, she has displayed her acting skills in Black Lightning and Hold on. Thus, she has two credits as an actress on her IMDb profile.

Foreword A Book With A Title Beautiful: Nude

Hardison has also written a short book titled Beautiful: Nude. The book is authored by Mark Baptiste. This book is about the photography collection of women baring their bodies and soul freely.

Bethann Hardison foreword Book.
Bethann Hardison foreword Book.
Source: Amazon

It is currently being sold for $118. 83 in Alibris.

Bethann Hardison’s Physical Appearance And Measurements

American former model, Hardison may be in her old days now but she stills maintains her appearance and looks younger than she ages. In her younger days, she used to be a high-profile model with a gorgeous appearance.

Bethann Hardison in her modeling days. 1
Bethann Hardison in her modeling days.
Source: Bethann Hardison

She prefers to keep short hair which is grey in color. She has attractive black eyes. Hardison stands tall with heights of 5 ft and 5 inches which is equivalent to 165 cm. Besides this, her other physical measurements are under review.

Social Media Presence

As a media personality, Hardison has been active on major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She also has a personal website that goes by her name.

She is available on Instagram with the username @bethannhardison in which she has more than 118k followers. Hardison is seen posting her personal life and opinions alongside her professional life on this specific platform.

Bethann uses Twitter under the username @BethannHardison which has followers of around 5k. She has a Facebook with a similar range of followers as her Twitter account. Apparently, she no longer uses her Facebook as her last post was in 2015.

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