PETALING JAYA, July 25 — Adidas has apologised to model Bella Hadid following their decision to withdraw advertisements featuring her promoting the SL72 trainers, originally launched for the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The company stated they were “revising” the campaign after facing criticism, particularly from Israel, regarding Hadid's involvement, reported The Guardian.
Hadid, an American with Palestinian roots, was targeted due to her association with the retro sneakers first released for the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The debut of the sneakers then however, was overshadowed by the incident where the Black September Organisation broke into the Olympics Village to demand the release of Palestinians held in Israeli and German prisons that led to the killing of 11 Israeli athletes.
She started wearing the SL72 earlier this year, as part of a campaign by Adidas to revive a series of its classic trainer models.
“These connections are not meant, and we apologise for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world. We made an unintentional mistake. We also apologise to our partners, Bella Hadid, ASAP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact on them and we are revising the campaign,” stated Adidas in the apology posted on Instagram..
The German-based company had said in a statement it was “revising the remainder of the campaign” after criticism over Hadid’s involvement by Israel on X.
“Guess who the face of their campaign is?” Israel’s official account had posted. “Bella Hadid, a model who has a history of spreading antisemitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews.”
Adidas was condemned by some Jewish organisations, with the American Jewish Committee labelling its decision as either a “massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory”.
Others however came out in support of Hadid.
Fellow Adidas ambassador, Palestinian-American author and activist Amani al-Khatahtbeh, posted an email she sent to Adidas on X, in which she said: “Bella Hadid is a model of Palestinian origin that has been a much-needed outspoken advocate for human right.”
She added: “Adidas’s disappointing response conflates our Palestinian identity with terrorism.”
Hadid, 27, known for her activism and influence in fashion, has been vocal about her Palestinian heritage and has faced backlash for her outspoken views.
She has previously been targeted for statements supporting Palestinian freedom and has been an advocate for human rights issues.
In May, she expressed her solidarity by wearing a dress crafted out of red and white keffiyehs during the film festival in Cannes.
In 2023 she denounced far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for saying Jewish settlers had more rights than Palestinians in occupied territories.
When she appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine in 2021, she said on Instagram: “A Palestinian girl on the cover of Vogue. The joy it brings me to say that ... I won’t stop talking about the systematic oppression, pain and humility that Palestinians face on a regular basis.”
Hadid, who recently launched her own wellness brand, has faced death threats for her outspoken support.
The apology to Hadid and her fellow Adidas partners comes amid reports that she is mulling legal action against Adidas.
