MEA CULPA

Bella Hadid Apologizes After Adidas Munich Olympics Ad Backlash

In a statement, the model said she was “disappointed in the lack of sensitivity” that went into creating the much-maligned shoe ad.

Bella Hadid said her team and Adidas “should have done more research” into a shoe ad campaign she starred in that referenced the 1972 Munich Olympics. In an Instagram story on Monday, the supermodel added that she was not aware of the tragedy behind the Munich Olympics, during which a Palestinian militant group killed 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer. The model said she would “never knowingly engage with any art or work that is linked to a horrific tragedy of any kind,” reported The Washington Post. Adidas was criticized for having Hadid, who is half Palestinian, star in the ad. In her message, Hadid said she does not support hate “in any form.” That includes “antisemitism,” she wrote. “That will never waver, and I stand by that statement to the fullest extent.” Responding to the backlash, Adidas apologized for “any upset or distress” and announced that it would be “revising” the rest of the ad campaign.