Adidas has issued an apology to supermodel Bella Hadid after removing her from a shoe campaign associated with the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Israeli athletes were killed by pro-Palestinian terrorists.
The campaign was pulled after pro-Israel groups found it offensive, calling it “sick.” In response to reports that Hadid might take legal action, Adidas apologized to her and other partners involved, including ASAP Nast and Jules Koundé.
Adidas clarified on its Instagram feed that the connections made to the Munich tragedy were unintentional, and the company apologized for any distress caused globally.
They acknowledged their mistake and assured they were revising the campaign to prevent further issues. This decision came after criticisms that using Hadid, who has been outspoken against Israel’s actions in Gaza, was either a significant oversight or intentionally inflammatory.
Hadid’s vocal stance against Israel’s war on Hamas, which has resulted in over 39,000 Palestinian deaths according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, and her Palestinian heritage, contributed to the backlash.
The American Jewish Committee and the Combat Antisemitism Movement criticized Adidas for using Hadid, emphasizing the insensitivity of commemorating an Olympics marked by Jewish bloodshed. In light of these concerns, Adidas committed to revising the remainder of the campaign.
