Bella Hadid had “no knowledge of the historical connection” between the 1972 Olympics terrorist attack and her recent Adidas ad campaign, which sparked outrage two weeks ago. In fact, she said she “would never have participated” in promoting the retro sneakers if she had.
When the ad campaign debuted earlier this month, outcry from the Jewish community was sharp and swift: The 52-year-0ld tragedy occurred at the Munich Olympics where terrorists with the Black September group took Israeli athletes and coaches hostage, killing 11 and a German police officer.
Hadid’s father is from Palestine and she has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military attacks on Gaza. Since the photos were published, many Jewish people have called out both the model and the shoe company for their cluelessness in launching a ’72 Olympics-themed product with a Palestinian model.
“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,” Hadid wrote in a Monday Instagram Story.
She added that she was “shocked,” “upset” and “disappointed” by Adidas’ “lack of sensitivity.” She further faulted the sportswear giant, her own team and herself for not doing more research.
“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 wrote.
The 27-year-old model, who was named the face of Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello in June, wrote that it “hurt her heart” that people equated the terrorist act of the 1970s with the current “liberation of the Palestinian people.”
She added, “Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism. This campaign unintentionally highlighted an event that does not represent who we are.”
Adidas quickly apologized for the campaign following the immediate uproar and promised they would go in a new direction. The “Originals’ SL 72” running shoe promo features stars from around the globe, including French soccer player Jules Koundé, rapper and songwriter A$AP Nast, Franco-Swiss musician Melissa Bon and model Sabrina Lan.
