Adidas has apologized to supermodel Bella Hadid for “any negative impact” stemming from the outcry over its decision to showcase the pro-Palestinian celebrity as the face of its 1972 Munich Olympics sneaker relaunch.
“Connections continue to be made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign,” Adidas said in a statement to TMZ. “Those connections are not meant and we apologise for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world.”
The ad campaign was removed from the Adidas website after pushback over using a model known for her pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activism to promote an athletic trainer unveiled at the games at which Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli coaches and athletes.
The German apparel giant also apologized to rapper A$AP Nast and French soccer player Jules Kounde, both of whom were featured in the now-defunct Adidas Originals ads.
“We made an unintentional mistake,” Adidas said Sunday in a statement. “We also apologise to our partners, Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Kounde, and others, for any negative impact on them and we are revising the campaign.”
Hadid has not commented publicly on the uproar, although US Weekly reported that she has retained legal counsel to take action against the company “for their lack of public accountability.”
“Hadid does not take issue with the campaign being pulled,” US Weekly said in its report Sunday. “She is, however, upset that Adidas would reference the 1972 Olympics without acknowledging the historical context beforehand.”
Adidas apologized Thursday for “any upset or distress” caused by the ad campaign following blowback from groups including the Combat Antisemitism Movement, Stop Antisemitism and the Anti-Defamation League.
“Choosing Bella Hadid — who promotes hateful anti-Israel misinformation and Hamas propaganda to her millions of followers — to be the face of a 1972 Olympic shoe relaunch was a serious misjudgment that dishonors the victims,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.
He said the ADL had been “in communication” with the leadership of Adidas Originals.
“We welcome their decision to correct this campaign and its recognition of the pain it has caused,” Greenblatt said Thursday in a statement.
In 1972, Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the Olympic Games in Munich.
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) July 18, 2024
Choosing Bella Hadid - who promotes hateful anti-Israel misinformation and Hamas propaganda to her millions of followers - to be the face of a 1972 Olympic shoe relaunch was… pic.twitter.com/Q1cKiMc5rn
Hadid was born in the District, and graduated from Malibu High School in California. But she traces her Palestinian heritage to her father, Mohamed Hadid, a Jordanian-American real-estate developer who was born in what is now Israel.
Pinned to her Instagram account is a 2021 post with the message “It’s Free Palestine Til Palestine is Free.”
In May, she modeled a keffiyeh-pattern dress on Instagram in honor of the Palestinian culture.
“If you don’t know what’s happening right now in Gaza, watch my stories (and find other accounts leading to Palestinians on the ground) and please educate yourself on the on going [sic] occupation and genocide that is happening RIGHT NOW in Gaza,” she said in the May 28 post. “Do not be desensitized to the horror that is being endured by the Palestinian people.”
Fans of Hadid — and critics of Israel — lashed out at the company after she was dropped from the ad campaign, prompting the hashtag #boycottadidas to surge over the weekend on social media.
“Bella Hadid gets canceled by @adidas because she is a Palestinian-American,” Palestinian advocate Ruhida Malik posted on X. “Adidas clearly displaying their Islamophobia for the world to see! Boycott Adidas!!”
The Palestinian terrorist organization Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village in September 1972, killing two Israelis and kidnapping nine others. All nine Israeli athletes and coaches, an officer and five terrorists were killed days later in a failed rescue operation by West German police.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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