US model Bella Hadid arrives for the screening of the film "L'Amour Ouf" (Beating Hearts) at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Christophe Simon / AFP)
Berlin: Adidas said on Friday it had dropped vocal pro-Palestinian model Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign for retro sneakers referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The German sportswear giant recently relaunched the SL72, a shoe first showcased by athletes at the 1972 Olympics, as part of a series reviving old classic sneakers.
Eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed at the 1972 Munich Games after gunmen from the 'Palestinian Black September' group broke into the Olympic village.
Hadid, who was born in the US but has Palestinian roots through her father, has been vocal about her support for Palestinian rights.
Adidas said it would be "revising the remainder of the campaign" with immediate effect.
"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," the company said in a statement sent to AFP on Friday.
A spokeswoman confirmed that Hadid had been removed from the campaign. Pictures of the American model wearing the retro Adidas shoes had caused an outcry among pro-Israeli groups.
Hadid has taken part in several pro-Palestinian demonstrations during the conflict and has described Israel's offensive as a "genocide".
Adidas said it would be continuing the SL72 campaign with other models.
