Kylie Jenner Has Been Accused Of Using Her Baby Son As A “Distraction” After She Posted Rare Photos Amid Kim Kardashian’s Balenciaga Backlash
“I bet they were holding this in their back pocket for a crisis like this.”
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by Stephanie SoteriouBuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted 3 minutes agoTwitterFacebookLink
This month, Kim Kardashian has faced growing backlash amid Balenciaga’s controversial spring/summer 2023 campaign.
Jacopo M. Raule / Getty Images For Balenciaga
The photo shoot went viral on Twitter on Nov. 21 for including two young children posing with teddy bears that were dressed in BDSM-style harnesses.
shoe
@shoe0nhead
the brand "Balenciaga" just did a uh..... interesting... photoshoot for their new products recently which included a very purposely poorly hidden court document about 'virtual child porn'
normal stuff
03:26 AM - 21 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @shoe0nhead
It was also pointed out that court documents mentioning “child porn” were visible props in the background of the shoot, which sparked huge outrage online.
Lila Rose
@LilaGraceRose
This is absolutely disgusting. Balenciaga features toddlers in ads, holding teddy bears in bondage outfits and with a court document about “child porn” partially hidden in the image.
This is criminal & sick. Sexualizing children must be a redline. @KimKardashian - speak out now.
12:37 AM - 22 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @LilaGraceRose
Balenciaga was subsequently accused of sexualizing children and platforming “groomers,” and Kim Kardashian — who is one of the biggest faces of the brand — received heavy criticism for not speaking out against the shoot.
View this photo on Instagram
Instagram: @kimkardashian
Kanye West was the one who introduced Kim to Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna Gvasalia, after inviting him to be a part of his Yeezy Season 1 creative team in 2015.
Taylor Hill / FilmMagic
And Kim’s relationship with the designer grew separately from her ex-husband, and she is now renowned for being a dedicated brand collaborator.
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
In addition to frequently wearing Balenciaga designs, Kim attended the Met Gala with Demna back in 2021 and walked the couture runway for the label at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year.
John Shearer / WireImage
But despite Balenciaga issuing a statement apologizing for its offensive campaign on Nov. 22, Kim remained silent for a week.
Gotham / GC Images
Balenciaga’s initial Instagram statement read: “We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”
Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/balenciaga/?hl=en
In a second post, the company addressed the court documents that had been featured in the shoot, saying: “We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form.”
Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/balenciaga/?hl=en
But this wasn’t enough for horrified critics, who continued to put pressure on Kim to acknowledge the scandal.
Danni
@DanniBrener
Hi Kim! Did walking in the #balenciaga show make you nervous? You know what makes me nervous? Balenciaga promoting toddlers & BDSM & their BS “apology” claiming they had no clue they were promoting toddlers & BDSM. Any comments on protecting children from sexual exploitation? https://t.co/zqZ6RKmnF7
04:24 PM - 25 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @DanniBrener
In fact, the star’s social media posts were flooded with comments calling out her silence, and last week’s poorly timed episode of The Kardashians only added fuel to the fire when one of its central storylines focused on Kim walking the Balenciaga runway in July.
Hulu
“The fact that Kim Kardashian is live tweeting about the latest episode of #TheKardashians which includes her walking for Balenciaga, but STILL hasn't condemned their child porn ad,” one person tweeted at the time.
amz.
@xamyjadeee
The fact that Kim Kardashian is live tweeting about the latest episode of #TheKardashians which includes her walking for Balenciaga, but STILL hasn't condemned their child porn ad
05:22 AM - 24 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @xamyjadeee
“Kind of bad timing for #TheKardashians to air an episode where Kim takes North to the Balenciaga show,” another tweeted in reference to Kim’s 9-year-old daughter, North.
mergdb
@mergdb
kind of bad timing for #TheKardashians to air an episode where Kim takes North to the Balenciaga show
01:18 AM - 25 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @mergdb
And then on Sunday, three days after the episode aired and a week after the campaign photo shoot went viral, Kim finally put out a statement addressing the situation.
Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for Baby2Baby
Writing on social media, Kim said that she hadn’t commented sooner because she wanted to speak to the Balenciaga team herself and added that she had been “shaken” by the “disturbing images.”
View this photo on Instagram
Instagram: @kimkardashian
“I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened,” Kim wrote.
Kim Kardashian
@KimKardashian
I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted and outraged by the recent Balenciaga campaigns, but because I wanted an opportunity to speak to their team to understand for myself how this could have happened.
11:58 PM - 27 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @KimKardashian
“As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period,” she said. “I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again.”
Kim Kardashian
@KimKardashian
I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology. In speaking with them, I believe they understand the seriousness of the issue and will take the necessary measures for this to never happen again.
11:58 PM - 27 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @KimKardashian
“As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children,” Kim concluded.
Kim Kardashian
@KimKardashian
As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children.
12:48 AM - 28 Nov 2022
Reply Retweet FavoriteTwitter: @KimKardashian
But many took issue with the response, particularly that Kim did not commit to cutting ties with the brand and how she praised Balenciaga for apologizing after the campaign came under fire.
Marc Piasecki / WireImage
“The most disturbing thing about this Balenciaga thing is Kim kardashian is one of the richest women in the world, could easily cut ties with them and make a huge stand but she won’t,” one person tweeted. “She’s a whole mother?!”
G
