Supermodel Gigi Hadid assaulted after fashion show

Gigi Hadid, on the runway for Max Mara, before she was attacked by serial prankster Vitalii Sediuk. Photo / Getty

Gigi Hadid has been attacked by notorious Ukrainian prankster Vitalii Sediuk while leaving the Max Mara fashion show in Milan.

Sediuk grabbed the 21-year-old model from behind and lifted her into the air as she and her sister Bella Hadid, 19, walked to their car.

Instead of waiting for a bodyguard, Hadid defended herself by elbowing the serial pest in front of stunned onlookers.

Gigi Hadid, an avid kickboxer, defended herself against the attacker. Photo / Splash

The young fashionista, who is currently dating singer Zayn Malik, shouted after her attacker, "Who the f**k are you, you piece of s**t".

Hadid, an avid kickboxer who often shares videos of her gruelling workouts, addressed the distressing encounter on Twitter.

"...I'm a HUMAN BEING - and had EVERY RIGHT to defend myself," she tweeted. "How dare that idiot thinks he has the right to man-handle a complete stranger. He ran quick tho."

Sediuk has defended his attack on Hadid, saying he was protesting the fashion industry.

"While I consider Gigi Hadid beautiful, she and her friend Kendall Jenner, have nothing to do with high fashion," he wrote in an Instagram post.

"By doing this I encourage fashion industry to put true talents on the runway and Vogue covers instead of well-connected cute girls from Instagram. You can call it a manifest or a protest.

Gigi Hadid looked shaken after the attack as she walked to a car. Photo / Splash

"This is also a wake up call for Anna Wintour who turned Vogue into tabloid by putting Kardashians and other doubtful celebrities on a cover of a well-respected magazine".

Sediuk has previously assaulted Brad Pitt, who is currently embroiled in a messy divorce from Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Miranda Kerr and Kim Kardashian.