Global sportswear brand Adidas has apologized to its partners, including Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid, CNN reported.
This came after the model threatened the company with legal action over an advertising campaign inspired by the 1972 Munich Olympics. On September 5, 1972, members of Israel's Olympic team were taken hostage by the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September demanding the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners. The 11 people were subsequently killed.
The campaign was heavily criticized by the state of Israel, which condemned Hadid's participation because of her Palestinian background. This controversy led Adidas to revise the rest of the campaign and reaffirm its commitment to diversity and equality.
“Links continue to be made with the tragedy that happened at the Munich Olympics because of our recent SL72 campaign. These connections were unsolicited and we apologize for any hurt or distress caused to communities around the world," an Adidas representative said in a statement to TMZ.
An apology was sent to all partners, including Hadid, for the negative effects the campaign may have had on their careers. "We made an unintentional mistake. We also apologize to Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Kunde and others for any negative impact on them and are reviewing the campaign," the German brand noted.
Hadid hired legal counsel to deal with the backlash caused by Adidas. | BGNES