Last week, Adidas tapped Bella Hadid to help re-release its SL 72, a running sneaker that first debuted at the 1972 Munich Olympics. A retro sneaker, an Olympics fashion moment, a yeehaw fashion model holding a bouquet of flowers — what could go wrong? A lot, apparently, because Hadid has been removed from the campaign after pro-Israel groups accused Adidas of antisemitism, and on Monday apologized for her involvement in the ad.
“I would never knowingly engage with any art or work that is linked to a horrific tragedy of any kind. In advance of the campaign’s release, I had no knowledge of the historical connection to the atrocious events in 1972,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “I am shocked, I am upset, and I am disappointed in the lack of sensitivity that went into this campaign. Had I been made aware … I would never have participated.”
The allegations stem from a tragedy that unfolded during the second week of the 1972 Games, which saw the militant Palestinian group Black September kidnap and massacre 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. While the marketing does seem to reference the 1972 Olympics, there’s no explicit mention of the Munich massacre. For some, those origins make the presence of Hadid, a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, a huge problem. In a widely distributed statement, the American Jewish Committee described her as a “vocal anti-Israel model,” saying her presence in the campaign was “either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory.” Meanwhile, on X, the State of Israel accused Hadid of “spreading antisemitism” and “calling for violence against Israelis and Jews.”
“I do not believe in hate in any form, including antisemitism … Connecting the liberation of the Palestinian people to an attack so tragic, is something that hurts my heart. Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism,” Hadid continued in her apology. “I will forever stand by my people of Palestine while continuing to advocate for a world free of antisemitism. Antisemitism has no place in the liberation of the Palestinian people.”
To be clear, Hadid, whose family is Palestinian, has condemned terrorist attacks on Israel while criticizing the Israeli government’s violent attacks on civilians in Gaza. But for Adidas, a German company with historic Nazi ties that was one of the last brands to part ways with Kanye West after his string of antisemitic comments, these accusations were too much to bear. The brand swiftly released an apology and has reportedly removed Hadid from the campaign.
“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” Adidas’s statement said. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.” Will they, though?
