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Kim Kardashian Has Finally Adressed The Balenciaga Controversy
28 November 2022, 12:02 | Updated: 28 November 2022, 12:08
Kim Kardashian condemned Balenciaga following their holiday campaign controversy with a statement calling the "disturbing" photoshoot an "outrage".
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Warning: This article contains mentions of child abuse.
After days of silence, fans urged Kim Kardashian to comment and she finally spoke on the Balenciaga controversy on Sunday (November 27).
The SKIMS founder has famously collaborated with the luxury fashion house on countless occasions but denounced the brand's recent ad campaign's use of children.
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Balenciaga's holiday shoot showed children holding teddy bears that were dressed in bondage, leading to many accusing the brand of sexualising minors.
Kim let her stance on the scandal be known in a series of tweets, she branded the holiday advert as "disturbing" and is "outraged".
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She posted her statement on Sunday: "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.
"As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images," The Kardashians star wrote, "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."
The KKW Beauty owner revealed that she was in contact with the company regarding their severe misstep, writing: "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."
After Balenciaga's problematic shoot went viral, they issued an apology and removed the campaign.
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 Kardashian (@KimKardashian) November 28, 2022
Balenciaga's statement read: "Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”
Kim referenced her long-term relationship with the fashion house and stated that she is "re-evaluating" her involvement with Balenciaga depending on their "willingness to accept accountability".
The 42-year-old also stated that she expects the brand to take steps to help "protect children" going forward. Kardashian's statement comes after her Instagram was bombarded with users urging her to speak out about the controversy in the days following the viral campaign.
