Adidas Apologizes for Controversial Bella Hadid Campaign

Adidas issued an apology for making Bella Hadid the face of its retro sneaker campaign, referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics, following backlash from the American Jewish Committee due to her Palestinian lineage and vocal criticism of Israel.

Adidas has issued an apology following backlash from the pro-Israel American Jewish Committee (AJC) over its decision to use Bella Hadid, a model of Palestinian descent, in a campaign to promote a retro sneaker referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The sports apparel giant selected Hadid for its SL72 campaign, celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the Munich Olympics. The 1972 Games are infamous for the tragic killing of 11 Israeli athletes by the Palestinian militant group Black September.

The campaign's association with Hadid, who has been vocally critical of Israel, ignited controversy. The AJC condemned the decision as either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Adidas apologized for any distress caused and announced revisions to the campaign.

(With inputs from agencies.)