Bella Hadid has issued an apology after posting a photo that some considered offensive.
On Sunday, Hadid posted a picture to her Instagram story which showed her kicking up her boot in an airport. Hadid's shoe faces the window, which overlooks docked airplanes. One airplane bears the flag of the United Arab Emirates on its tail, while the other has the Saudi Arabian flag.
Some people who saw the photo were offended by it, as it appears that Hadid is showing the bottom of her shoe to the flags. In many Arab cultures, showing someone the bottom of your shoe is considered offensive, as it suggests one is "lower" than the other — as if they were no better than dirt under one's shoe. (Example: After Saddam Hussein’s statue was toppled in Baghdad in 2003, many Iraqis attacked it with their shoes as the ultimate sign of disrespect.)
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After Hadid posted the photo, the hashtag #BellaHadidIsRacist began trending on Twitter. Some people even said they would not purchase products associated with the model, such as Dior.
Shame on you?? #BellaHadidIsRacist pic.twitter.com/qbNVYd0uN0
— فارس التركي (@farooi) June 17, 2019
I stop buying Dior products #BellaHadidIsRacist pic.twitter.com/8p44PLsHos
— خالد (@KSAT2030) June 17, 2019
We do not want Bella Hadid ... interfere in our affairs !!! ?????
— samar_feisal (@SamarFeisal) June 17, 2019
#BellaHadidIsRacist pic.twitter.com/7ksDSxsAaK
Mood:
— Rania... (@Ra97ni) June 18, 2019
#BellaHadidIsRacist pic.twitter.com/07egZQqAFu
@Dior @bellahadid you are racist, this is not the first time from you, and when you see the unpredictable reactions to your posts , you are apologize , we are not accepting your apologie. SHAME ON YOU #BellaHadidIsRacist pic.twitter.com/965naVPhNK
— M.A (@mno14feb) June 17, 2019
Now, Hadid — whose father is Palestinian-American — has issued an apology.
"I am posting this to clear up a few things that have been weighing on my heart," she wrote on Instagram and Twitter. "To begin, I would never want my posts or platform to be used for hate against anyone, especially those of my own beautiful and powerful heritage. I love and care so much about the Muslim and Arab side of my family, as well as my brothers and sisters throughout the world."
She added:
"Not only do I have so much respect from the bottom of my heart, I have always tried to stand up for what I feel is right, especially regarding the great Middle East. I have never and will never be the one to talk down to these countries...Only to spread love, and the true beauty of them, as the way I was taught by my Teta and father. To feel as if I have disappointed you is what hurts me the most."
— Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) June 17, 2019
She shared the same message in Arabic.
— Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) June 17, 2019
This is not the first time that Hadid has been accused of insensitive behaviour. Last year, she was accused of saying the n-word while lip-syncing during a Coachella performance. Her sister, Gigi Hadid, received similar backlash after she was accused of mocking Asian people in a video.
After posting her initial apology, Bella posted another on Twitter, calling it an "honest mistake."
this was an honest mistake on an early morning... never, ever would I intentionally try to offend anyone like that. I am so sorry ..❤️
— Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) June 17, 2019