MILAN — This was already Gigi Hadid’s season.

She drew crowds outside the Max Mara shop on opening day of Milan Fashion Week, and indulged fans with selfies.

Model Gigi Hadid, hosted by Max Mara, salutes fans from the flagship store during a fashion event in Milan, Italy, Wednesday. Associated Press/Luca Bruno

Then she opened and closed the Max Mara show on the second day of womenswear previews for next spring and summer Thursday, and took top billing at Fendi.

But in between, things took an ugly turn when a former Ukrainian television reporter grabbed her from behind and picked her up in the air as she left the Max Mara venue. Video posted on the website TMZ shows her wriggling free and confronting the assailant, who ran away.

In an email, Vitalii Sediuk confirmed that he had lifted Hadid off the ground, saying it was a form of protest against the use of celebrity models. He has pulled similar pranks before, targeting Kim Kardashian, Brad Pitt and America Ferrera, once landing in a Los Angeles jail for two days.

According to the Huffington Post, one of Sediuk’s most notorious pranks occurred in 2014, when he accosted Pitt at the premiere of “Maleficent” by charging at the actor and burying his face in Pitt’s crotch. The Post reported that Hadid expressed frustration that some news reports called Sediuk a “fan” and described Hadid’s response as “aggressive.”

“I’m a HUMAN BEING and had EVERY RIGHT to defend myself,” the Post quoted her as writing. “How dare that idiot think he has the right to man-handle a complete stranger.”

Police in Milan said they had no immediate indication a formal complaint had been filed.

Despite the disruption, Hadid appeared in perfect form on the Fendi runway hours later.

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