Bella Hadid Breaks Her Silence on Adidas Controversy – Bella Hadid offered a response on Monday to the controversy surrounding her involvement in a recent Adidas campaign featuring shoes inspired by the 1972 Munich Games.
Bella Hadid Breaks Her Silence on Adidas Controversy:
Bella Hadid has responded to the backlash following Adidas’ campaign honoring the 52nd anniversary of the Munich Olympics.
In a lengthy post to her Instagram Stories on July 29, Hadid wrote, “For those of you that do not know my heart, I want to make sure you’re hearing directly from me about my recent campaign with adidas. 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 release, I had no knowledge of the historical connection to the atrocious events in 1972. 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, from the bottom of my heart, I would never have participated.”
Hadid continued, “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. As I always have, and always will, speak up for what I believe to be wrong. 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. 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.”
Hadid, 27, further wrote that it “hurt her heart” that so many people drew a connection between this campaign and the current “liberation of the Palestinian people” because the situations are completely different.
“Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism,” she wrote, adding, “this campaign unintentionally highlighted an event that does not represent who we are.”
Hadid concluded her heartfelt post by writing, “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. I will always stand for peace over violence, any day. Hate has no place here, and I will forever advocate for not only my people, but every person world wide.”
Earlier in July, Adidas released a campaign featuring Hadid, 27, for the relaunch of Adidas’ SL72 sneaker, which originally debuted in 1972, the same year as the Munich Olympics. The model is an outspoken supporter of Palestine, who has Palestinian heritage. As such, her inclusion in the campaign, as well as celebrating such a violent games in general, sparked controversy.
Bella Hadid Responds to Adidas Campaign Controversy: “Antisemitism Has No Place in the Liberation of the Palestinian People”
At the Munich Olympics in 1972, Palestinian terrorists from the militant group known “Black September” broke into the Olympic Village where they killed two members of the Israeli team and took nine more members of the Israeli team hostage. All of the hostages were killed, as well as one German police officer.
As reported by USA Today, Adidas Originals shared the photos featuring Hadid on X with the caption, “Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72.” Since then all campaign photos featuring the model have been removed from the company’s social media accounts.
The campaign and Hadid’s role were criticized by some on social media, including the American Jewish Committee, who released a statement on July 18.
“At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, 12 Israelis were murdered and taken hostage by Palestinian terrorist group Black September,” the Committee wrote on X. “For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Neither is acceptable.” (The organization later posted a correction, noting that 11 Israelis were murdered as well as one German officer.)
On July 18, Adidas shared a statement with USA Today Sports apologizing “for any upset or distress caused” by the connections being made to the “tragic historical events.”
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
On July 21, Adidas posted a second apology on the Adidas Originals’ Instagram Stories, this one to Hadid and their partners “for any negative impact” the controversy surrounding the campaign had on them, while also reiterating that no connections to the “terrible tragedy” that occurred in Munich were intentional.
“Connections continue to be made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign,” the statement read. “These connections are not meant and we apologize for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world. We made an unintentional mistake.”
The note continued, “We also apologize to our partners, Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact on them and we are revising the campaign.”
