Adidas has removed supermodel Bella Hadid, who is half Palestinian, from an advertising campaign for retro shoes referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics. This decision followed criticism from Israel, which accused Hadid of hostility towards the country and highlighted the 1972 Munich Games tragedy where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian attackers. Adidas subsequently apologised and announced plans to “revise” the campaign.
Hadid has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and recently donated funds to support relief efforts in Gaza. She was initially chosen to promote Adidas’ SL72 trainers, first launched in 1972 to coincide with the Munich Olympics. The recent relaunch of the SL72 shoes, part of a series reviving classic trainers, faced backlash, including a critical post from Israel’s official account on X (formerly Twitter), which pointed out Hadid’s Palestinian heritage and referenced the tragic events of the 1972 games.
“Guess who the face of their campaign is? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model,” a post read on Thursday.
Following the controversy, Adidas confirmed to AFP that Hadid had been removed from the campaign, stating they would “revise the remainder of the campaign” immediately. The company expressed regret for any unintentional distress caused by the association with historical events.
A statement provided to AFP by Adidas said, “We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologise for any upset or distress caused.”
Hadid’s father, Palestinian property tycoon Mohamed Anwar Hadid, has also been vocal in support of Palestinians.
In an Instagram post in May, Hadid said she was “devastated at the loss of the Palestinian people and the lack of empathy coming from the government systems worldwide”. Last month, she and her sister Gigi donated $1 million to Palestinian relief efforts.
The conflict in Gaza, which began with a Hamas attack on Israel resulting in around 1,200 deaths and the taking of hostages, has led to Israel’s military campaign aimed at destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, the conflict has resulted in over 38,900 deaths in the territory.