Bella Hadid speaks out after controversial Adidas campaign

On Monday (29), Bella Hadid used her social media to speak out about her controversial participation in the campaign with Adidas. The campaign promoted the relaunch of the brand's SL72 sneakers with Bella, who is an advocate for Palestinian rights. The campaign received several online criticisms from pro-Israel groups and was removed from all Adidas channels. In addition to the model as the main face of the campaign, the campaign also presents a historical context that further spread outrage and dissatisfaction, as the sneakers in question were launched during the Munich Olympics in 1972, when the Palestinian group 'Black September' killed eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer.

^{Bella Hadid looking at the Adidas campaign on a big screen (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@onehundredberlin)}

Bella's Pronouncement

In her statement on Instagram, the model stated that she was unaware of the historical context of the campaign and also informed that she would never consciously get involved with any type of art or work that was related to a horrible tragedy.I am shocked, upset and disappointed by the lack of sensitivity that has been shown in this campaign. If I had been informed, from the bottom of my heart, I would never have participated.”. Bella published in the statement published in story format. “I do not believe in any form of hatred, including anti-Semitism.”. The model added.

Hadid, who is an outspoken advocate for Palestinians, is the daughter of Mohamed Hadid, a Palestinian business magnate. In June, she and her sister, Gigi Hadid, donated nearly $1 million to humanitarian organizations in war-torn areas. She also encourages her followers to study and understand more about Gaza.

Model's statement on social media (Photo: reproduction/X/@BellaHadidBra)

Translated statement (Photo: reproduction/X/@BellaHadidBra)

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Complementary translated statement (Photo: reproduction/X/@BellaHadidBra)

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Adidas apologizes

After having interrupted the campaign, Adidas claimed to have taken such action due to the sensitivity of the events that occurred at the 1972 Olympics. Last Wednesday (17), in a statement published on Instagram, the brand stated that it would be “reviewing” the entire campaign and removed the images from the air, but did not mention the model’s name.We are aware that links to tragic historical events have been made – although these are completely unintentional – and we apologise for any disruption or distress caused. As a result, we are reviewing the remainder of the campaign.”. Adidas published on its official account.

Days after the brand's statement, the news portal 'TMZ' reported that the model was seeking legal advice to sue the brand. According to the portal, she was disappointed with Adidas for producing a campaign that associated her with a tragedy. Bella did not confirm this, but after this Adidas once again spoke out on Instagram apologizing to the communities that felt affected.

Featured Photo: Bella in the campaign published by Adidas (reproduction/X/@BellaHadidBra)