Adidas drops Bella Hadid after Israeli criticism
The German sportswear giant announced it was “revising” the campaign after facing criticism from Israel due to Hadid’s involvement. photo: file
Adidas has withdrawn images of model Bella Hadid from advertisements promoting a sports shoe that was initially launched to coincide with the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, according to a report by The Guardian. The German sportswear giant announced it was “revising” the campaign after facing criticism from Israel due to Hadid’s involvement.
The SL72 trainers, which Adidas describes as a timeless classic, were being marketed by Hadid, an American model with Palestinian ancestry. Hadid has in the past drawn criticism from the Israeli government for allegedly chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a phrase considered by some to be antisemitic.
Israel’s official account on X voiced objections to Hadid being “the face of [the Adidas] campaign,” particularly noting that “eleven Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Munich Olympics.” Over the years, Hadid has been vocal in her criticism of the Israeli government and has shown strong support for Palestinians. On October 23, she posted on Instagram expressing sorrow over the loss of innocent lives and urging her followers to pressure leaders to protect civilians in Gaza.
Adidas issued a statement to USA Today about the SL72 campaign, stating that it “unites a broad range of partners.” The company added, “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. 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.”
Adidas did not specify what changes would be made to the campaign. The SL72 advertisements had shown Hadid, dressed in Adidas apparel and holding flowers, highlighting her sneakers. “Giving Bella Hadid her flowers in the SL 72,” read a tweet from Adidas Originals. However, following the company’s apology and commitment to revise the campaign, all tweets featuring Hadid were removed from Adidas Originals’ X account and Instagram. As of Thursday afternoon, Hadid was still featured on Adidas’ website.
The controversy has ignited a wave of reactions on social media, with many expressing support for Hadid. One user wrote, “Apologise for what?! Bella is a queen,” followed by several Palestinian flag emojis. Another commented, “Why cancel Bella? She is supporting her people! Same way Israel killed thousands of Palestinians. Why is no one cancelling their supporters?” A third user simply stated, “Bella deserves better.”
Despite the removal of Hadid’s images, other advertisements featuring Adidas brand ambassadors like French footballer Jules Koundé, US rapper A$AP Nast, and Chinese model Sabrina Lan remain online.
The tragic events referenced by Israel occurred on September 5 1972, when members of the Palestinian group Black September infiltrated the Olympic village, taking eleven Israeli team members hostage and ultimately killing them.
This is not the first time Adidas has distanced itself from celebrity ambassadors accused of antisemitism. In October 2022, the company ended its partnership with rapper Kanye West after he was suspended from Instagram and Twitter for posting offensive content. Adidas condemned West’s remarks and actions as “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous,” stating that they violated the company’s values of diversity, inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.