Bella Hadid to sue Adidas over 1972 Munich Olympic shoe ad amid Israel-Palestine conflict

Bella Hadid has embarked on her legal battle against Adidas, with insiders now claiming she hired a legal team to sue the athletic apparel company. Adidas said on July 19, 2024, it had dropped vocal pro-Palestinian model Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign for retro sneakers referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics, which were overshadowed by a massacre of Israeli athletes. The swelling issue turned into a controversy as Hadid was announced as the face of “Adidas’ next-It shoe”, and the campaign referenced the Munich Olympics, which became the contentious ground for an instance of harrowing historical violence. Though an American model born in Washington D.C. in 1996, Hadid’s father is Palestinian, and she herself identifies as a “proud Palestinian,” per a May 29 Instagram post. Adidas issues apology for the advert The athleisure brand has since dropped the “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,” Adidas said via a statement to USA Today on Thursday.