Adidas Sparks New Controversy After Deleting Model Bella Hadid's Campaign

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, German sportswear giant Adidas has launched a campaign featuring model Bella Hadid for the SL72 Adidas. The campaign aims to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics by offering a modern interpretation of the classic shoe silhouette.

However, the ad quickly sparked controversy, drawing criticism from pro-Israel organizations and the Israeli government. This backlash stems from Hadid's involvement in the campaign. Hadid, a Palestinian-American model, is known for her advocacy against the ongoing occupation of Palestine and the violence affecting Gaza.

The issue is compounded by the historical context of the SL72 Adidas shoes, which were first introduced during the 1972 Munich Olympics. This event tragically saw the Black September militant organization attack and kill 11 Israeli athletes, coaches, and officials.

The controversy underscores the intersection of sports, fashion, and geopolitics, highlighting how symbols and endorsements can carry deep historical and political significance.

Under pressure, the sportswear label announced that it was reviewing its campaign while removing all images of the model from its social media. An Adidas representative said to Newsweek that the company is "conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events—though these are completely unintentional," and apologized for "any upset or distress caused."

While Hadid's photos were all deleted, the pictures of soccer player Jules Koundé, rapper A$AP Nast, musician Melissa Bon, and model Sabrina Lan, who also starred in the campaign, remained untouched by the review process.

Within days, #BoycottAdidas began trending on X, TikTok, and Instagram, with netizens criticizing the label for bowing to political pressure while discriminatorily punishing Bella Hadid for crimes she had nothing to do with. UNDP consultant Zunaira Inam Khan shared on X, "So Bella Hadid gets removed from a campaign simply because she's spoken up against the killing of her own people? She has NOTHING to do with what happened at the '72 Olympics but just the fact that she's half-Palestinian, she's unacceptable? Adidas should be ashamed."

Other commentators are taking the tag even further, calling out the label's discriminating attitude, like @exomarxi, who stated, "Sacking Bella Hadid because she’s Palestinian equates all acts committed by those with shared nationality. In essence, this makes every person on earth culpable, since no nation exists without criminal entities. This is peak racism @adidas. Welcome to the boycott list."

On other social platforms, the buzz is no different. While influencers are making videos on TikTok explaining what happened, some of the model's peers, such as stylist and fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, are standing up for her on Instagram. "Imagine fumbling the bag to this extreme of a degree...how embarrassing. @bellahadid forever! #adidas for never,'' Johnson wrote.

In an effort to remedy the controversy, the sportswear label released a statement on Sunday morning, saying, "We also apologize to our partners, Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact on them.’’ Despite the brand's declaration, it doesn't look like things are going to get better anytime soon. As journalist Sulaiman Ahmed shared an analysis on X: "ADIDAS STOCKS HAVE PLUMMETED SINCE THEY DROPPED BELLA HADID FOR BEING PALESTINIAN.’’

While Hadid is still under contract with the company, the model has hired a legal team to sue Adidas, as she reportedly believes the company has failed to take public responsibility for making her the face of its campaign honoring the original 1972 shoe, according to TMZ.