Bella Hadid Apologizes for Adidas Campaign’s ‘Lack of Sensitivity’ in Referencing Munich Massacre

Shiryn Ghermezian

Bella Hadid in a new Adidas campaign for the brand’s remake of its SL 72 sneaker. Photo: Adidas

Supermodel Bella Hadid broke her silence on Monday about being featured in a controversial Adidas campaign that referenced the 1972 massacre at the Munich Olympics, where 11 Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

“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,” she began by saying in a lengthy statement posted on her Instagram Story. The founder of the Orebella perfume, who is also an avid critic of the state of Israel, added that she “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,” she explained. “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. 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.”

Earlier this month, Adidas released a new campaign, featuring Hadid, for its iconic SL 72 sneaker. The sneaker was originally released in 1972 and used that year by athletes at the Munich Olympic Games, where the Palestinian terrorist group Black September murdered 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team after taking them hostage.

Hadid has participated in anti-Israel rallies where she chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which calls for the destruction of the Jewish state and for it to be replaced with a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. She has previously accused Israel of “colonization, ethnic cleansing, military occupation, and apartheid over the Palestinian people.” She has advocated for a “Free Palestine,” and since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, she has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

After Adidas was criticized for choosing the anti-Israel model as a face of the new campaign, the German sportswear company pulled her from the project. Adidas also issued two apologies regarding the matter — one directed at Hadid herself — and said it would “revise” its campaign. Hadid had not commented on the ordeal until Monday. She said in the statement on her Instagram Story that she “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,” she said of the Adidas campaign. “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.”

“Connecting the liberation of the Palestinian people to an attack so tragic is something that hurts my heart. Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism, and this campaign unintentionally highlighted an event that does not present who we are,” she continued. The model concluded by saying that she is a “proud Palestinian woman” who “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,” she said. “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 worldwide.”

Hadid’s sister is fellow model Gigi Hadid, her mother is Dutch former supermodel Yolanda Hadid and her father is Nazareth-born Jordanian real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, who has regularly made anti-Israel comments on social media.