Bella Hadid Apologizes For Adidas Campaign Linked To 1972 Olympics
Photos 320080884 © Skrypko Ievgen and 172834462 © Featureflash | Dreamstime.com
Supermodel Bella Hadid has issued a public apology after facing intense criticism for her involvement in an Adidas campaign linked to the 1972 Munich Olympics. The advertisement promoted the re-release of the SL72 sneaker that first debuted at the Summer Games in Munich, Germany, which saw the tragic killing of 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer by a Palestinian militant group who infiltrated the Olympic Village.
Hadid, a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and whose father is Palestinian, expressed shock and disappointment at the lack of sensitivity displayed in the campaign. In a statement shared to her Instagram stories on Monday, she emphasized her unequivocal stance against hate in all forms, including antisemitism.
The model asserted that she would never knowingly participate in any project connected to such a horrific tragedy.
“My team should have known, Adidas should have known, and I should have done more research so that I, too, would have known and understood, and spoken up,” Hadid expressed.
“While everyone’s intentions were to make something positive, and bring people together through art, the collective lack of understanding from all parties undermined the process,” she continued. “I do not believe in hate in any form, including antisemitism. That will never waiver, and I stand by that statement to the fullest extent.”
Bella Hadid releases statement on Adidas campaign:
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 29, 2024
“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.” pic.twitter.com/37ayOS0vZb
Adidas, on its part, swiftly responded to the growing controversy by pulling related visuals and issuing an apology for any distress caused. The sportswear giant acknowledged the unintentional mistake and pledged to revise the remainder of the campaign.
[via New York Times, NBC News, Rolling Stone, images via various sources]
