Current:Home > ContactAdidas Apologizes for Bella Hadid Ad Campaign Referencing 1972 Munich Olympics -NextFrontier Finance
Adidas Apologizes for Bella Hadid Ad Campaign Referencing 1972 Munich Olympics
View
Date:2025-04-17 06:20:38
Adidas has issued an apology over a controversial campaign featuring Bella Hadid that paid tribute to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
This week, the footwear brand shared ads showing the supermodel—whose father Mohamed Hadid is Palestinian—wearing retro red SL72 sneakers commemorating the games, during which gunmen from the Palestinian militant group Black September raided the Olympic Village and killed 11 members of the Israeli team, with nine murdered after being held hostage.
While the campaign also featured celebs such as soccer star Jules Koundé, the ads with Bella sparked an online backlash that included calls to boycott the German company, as well as condemnation from Israel's official X account. All the promotional photos were then removed from the brand's social media and its website.
“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical event—though these are completely unintentional—and we apologize for any upset or distress caused," Adidas said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports July 18. “As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign."
The company added, "We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do."
Hadid, who was born in the United States and calls herself a "proud Palestinian," has long been vocal in her support for the Palestinian people on social media.
The 27-year-old has often spoken out against Israel's ongoing military action in Gaza, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, per NBC News.
Israel began its offensive after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in a cross-border raid into Israel Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies.
Hadid has not commented on the removal of the ads. E! News has reached out to her rep and has not heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (23347)
Related
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- EPA Spurns Trump-Era Effort to Drop Clean-Air Protections For Plastic Waste Recycling
- Biden’s Top Climate Adviser Signals Support for Permitting Deal with Fossil Fuel Advocates
- James Hansen Warns of a Short-Term Climate Shock Bringing 2 Degrees of Warming by 2050
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Cleveland’s Tree Canopy Is in Trouble
- Gigi Hadid Says All's Well That Ends Well After Arrest in the Cayman Islands
- A New Hurricane Season Begins With Forecasts For Less Activity but More Uncertainty
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Are Legally Acceptable Levels of Pollution Harming Children’s Brain Development?
Ranking
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Carlee Russell's Parents Confirm Police Are Searching for Her Abductor After Her Return Home
- Solar Is Booming in the California Desert, if Water Issues Don’t Get in the Way
- Developer Confirms Funding For Massive Rio Grande Gas Terminal
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Deals You Can't Get Anywhere Else: Charlotte Tilbury, Olaplex & More
- A New Hurricane Season Begins With Forecasts For Less Activity but More Uncertainty
- Harry Styles’ 7 New Wax Figures Will Have You Doing a Double Take
Recommendation
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
Love Seen Lashes From RHONY Star Jenna Lyons Will Have You Taking a Bite Out of Summer
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023 is Open to All: Shop the Best Deals on Beauty, Fashion, Home & More
The EPA’s New ‘Technical Assistance Centers’ Are a Big Deal for Environmental Justice. Here’s Why
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
Jamie Lee Curtis Has the Ultimate Response to Lindsay Lohan Giving Birth to Her First Baby
Inexpensive Solar Panels Are Essential for the Energy Transition. Here’s What’s Happening With Prices Right Now
Ariana Grande Joined by Wicked Costar Jonathan Bailey and Andrew Garfield at Wimbledon