Adidas apologizes to Bella Hadid over 1972 Munich massacre association in latest sneakers campaign

(JTA) — Amid backlash, Adidas has removed social media ads featuring Palestinian-American model and activist Bella Hadid from its new campaign for a reissue of a sneaker originally designed for the 1972 Munich Olympics, where 11 members of the Israeli team were killed in a Palestinian terror attack.

The athletic apparel company also issued an apology to Hadid and other spokesmodels for the campaign for the Adidas Originals line, under which the retro SL 72 sneakers are sold.

The apology came amid reports that Hadid was considering suing Adidas for associating her with the Munich massacre.

“Connections continue to be made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign,” said the statement posted Sunday to Instagram. “These connections are not meant and we apologize for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world. We made an unintentional mistake. We also apologize to our partners, Bella Hadid, ASAP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact on them and we are revising the campaign.”

Hadid was among five celebrities hired for the campaign. Various Jewish and pro-Israel groups and institutions singled her out as an inappropriate choice because of her activism on behalf of Palestinians and harsh criticism of Israel.

Plans to revise the campaign

Hadid has long used her large social media presence to advocate for and bring attention to pro-Palestinian causes, recently donating $1 million with her sister, model Gigi Hadid, to support Palestinian relief efforts in Gaza. She has also shared misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war and drawn criticism for sharing social media posts downplaying the experiences of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory,” the American Jewish Committee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, last week. “Neither is acceptable.”

At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, 12 Israelis were murdered and taken hostage by Palestinian terrorist group Black September.For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Neither is… https://t.co/kNWw2cIsB9

— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) July 18, 2024

In a statement sent to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Thursday, Adidas said the company would be “revising the remainder of the campaign” but did not offer additional details.

Neither Adidas nor a representative for Bella Hadid responded to requests for comment.

The saga follows a different celebrity crisis for Adidas last year, when it broke ties with Kanye West after the rapper and designer made antisemitic comments. That episode renewed attention to Adidas’ Nazi history.

The campaign backlash also comes on the eve of the Paris Olympics, where a ceremony is planned to honor the Munich massacre, in which a West German policeman was killed alongside the Israeli athletes and coaches during a botched rescue operation. Officials are obscuring the location of the ceremony because of security concerns including threats against Israeli athletes’ lives amid widespread activism against the Israel-Hamas war.