Bella Hadid 'shocked' and 'upset' by adidas campaign

Model was recently dropped from advert after criticism from Jewish groups

Bella Hadid says she is 'shocked' and 'upset' by a controversial adidas campaign which featured her. AFP

Supermodel Bella Hadid is clearing the air about an adidas campaign featuring her that referenced a tragic Olympics event.

Hadid, 27, was recently dropped from an advert promoting adidas's SL72 trainers, which were first launched during the 1972 Olympics. But the event was overshadowed by the Munich massacre, where 11 Israeli team members, including athletes, coaches and judges, were taken hostage by Palestinian militants who infiltrated the Olympic Village. All the captives, as well as five militants and a German police officer, died in the ensuing shoot-out.

Hadid, whose father Mohamed Hadid is from Palestine and who describes herself as “a proud Palestinian woman”, has long been vocal about her support for her father’s homeland.

“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,” Hadid posted on her Instagram Stories.

“In advance of the campaign's 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.

“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,” she said.

“As I always have, and always will, speak up for what I believe to be wrong. I do not believe in hate in any form, including anti-Semitism. That will never waiver, and I stand by that statement to the fullest extent.”

Hadid also criticised those connecting Palestinian's fight for freedom to a tragic event.

“Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism and this campaign unintentionally highlighted an event that does not represent who we are. I am a proud Palestinian woman and there is so much more to our culture than the things that have been equated over the past week,” she said.

“I will forever stand by my people of Palestine while continuing to advocate for a world free of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has no place in the liberation of the Palestinian people.”

Earlier this month, days after the campaign featuring Hadid was released, the American Jewish Committee posted 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. We call on adidas to address this egregious error.”

Adidas then said it was “revising” the campaign, deleting Hadid's images from their social media accounts.

“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,” an adidas statement read.

The brand also posted another apology directly naming Hadid as well as other famous names featured in the campaign, including American rapper A$ap Nast and French footballer Jules Kounde.