Bella Hadid's Adidas ad controversy: The model apologizes for campaign but says the brand 'should have known'

Bella Hadid is breaking her silence on Adidas’s controversial Olympic-themed ad campaign. The model said in a statement that she’s “shocked” by “the lack of sensitivity” that went into the campaign but acknowledges that she should have done “more research.”

The German-based brand pulled the ad campaign that relaunched its SL72 running shoes, which were inspired by a style worn at the 1972 Munich Olympics, earlier this month after criticism from Israel as well as Jewish organizations. At issue was Hadid, who’s of Palestinian descent, being the face of the campaign when that year’s Olympics Games were overshadowed by a Palestinian militant group’s attack and murder of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and a German police officer. Adidas previously apologized, twice, including to Hadid, amid reports that she’s weighing her legal options.

??What just happened?

On July 29, Hadid shared a statement on her Instagram Stories addressing the controversy.

“I had no knowledge of the historical connection to the atrocious events in 1972,” she wrote. “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."

She pointed a finger at Adidas but also acknowledged that she and her team didn’t properly vet the campaign.

"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 wrote. “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 antisemitism. That will never waiver, and I stand by that statement to the fullest extent."

Hadid went on to say that “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 represent who we are. … I will forever stand by my people of Palestine while continuing to advocate for a world free of antisemitism.”

?? How did we end up here?

Adidas touted the campaign — including with a digital billboard in New York City — earlier this month.

When an image of Hadid with the sneakers was posted on X on July 18, the state of Israel called out the brand.

The American Jewish Committee also criticized Adidas, calling it “massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory.”

Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, has been outspoken in her support of Palestine and criticism of Israel over the years. Her support has been amplified amid the Israel-Hamas war, which broke out in October of last year. Hadid and her sister, Gigi, donated $1 million to aid Palestinian relief efforts.

Adidas first apologized on July 19, saying it would be "revising the remainder of the campaign," and removed social media posts featuring the campaign. Hadid also deleted campaign images from Instagram.

“The adidas Originals SL72 campaign unites a broad range of partners to celebrate our lightweight running shoe, designed more than 50 years ago and worn in sport and culture around the world,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused. As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign. 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.”

On July 21, Adidas issued a second apology on social media for the “negative impact” brought by the ad campaign which it called “an unintentional mistake.”

“Connections continue to be made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign,” the brand wrote on its Instagram story. “These connections are not meant and we apologize for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world.”

The brand went on to apologize to Hadid and others featured in the campaign, including rapper A$AP Nast and soccer player Jules Koundé, for “any negative impact on them” and said it’s “revising the campaign.”

The second apology came after a report that Hadid hired lawyers to take legal action against the brand for its “lack of public accountability” for putting out a campaign that “would associate anyone with the death and violence of what took place at the 1972 Munich Games.” A Hadid insider criticized Adidas’s inadequate vetting of the campaign.

Representatives for Adidas and Hadid did not respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.

Updated, July 30, 2024 at 2:40 p.m. ET: This story was originally published on July 23, 2024, and has been updated to include Hadid's response.