Bella Hadid to sue Adidas over Olympics ad

American supermodel Bella Hadid is reportedly in talks with lawyers about suing apparel and footwear giant Adidas, a day after the brand was said to have dropped her from a controversial advertisement. 

The ad made references to a tragic event from the 1972 Munich Olympics wherein a group of Israeli athletes had been killed by a Palestinian terror group.

The current ad is for the relaunch of a show model called SL72, which was initially launched during the 1972 Olympics. 

Hadid, who is of Palestinian descent, has been known for her support of Palestine, especially during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that started in October. Some groups have even alleged that she has made antisemitic statements. 

Given the context of the ad, it has received a huge backlash for its choice of the model. Even the official X account of Israel has taken note of the ad. 

.https://twitter.com/adidas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Adidas recently launched a new campaign for their shoes to highlight the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Eleven Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Munich Olympics.

Guess who the face of their campaign is? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model who has a history… https://t.co/IgdGq2OLmd">pic.twitter.com/IgdGq2OLmd

— Israel ישראל (@Israel) https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1813967996609516023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2024

Following the pressure and criticism, Adidas had decided to drop Hadid from its campaign. American entertainment website TMZ has reported a source who said Hadid didn't know about the exact content of the ad and is therefore looking to sue the company. 

Adidas, meanwhile, had to issue back-to-back apologies. They first made an apology about choosing Hadid for the campaign, despite knowing about the tragic incident from the 1972 Olympics. On Monday, they issued an apology to the supermodel among other stakeholders and insisted that they are revising the campaign.