The fashion brand Balenciaga recently released an advertising campaign that drew outrage online because of the imagery in it, particularly children in creepy settings holding teddy bears wearing BDSM outfits, the inclusion of a printout of a Supreme Court case about child pornography, and an item with “Baal” written on it.
Numerous high-profile figures, particularly Kim Kardashian, were skewered at the time for their working with the brand and the public clamored for them to drop that association and condemn the campaign. Kardashian finally did so days later, saying:
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 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.
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.
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.
Daily Wire host Candace Owens ripped her for that response, saying: “I publicly asked Kim Kardashian to condemn Balenciaga for their pedophilic ad campaign thinking it would be easy for her to condemn child porn. Unfortunately, I was wrong. It took her 6 days to issue a pathetic statement in which she failed to part ways with the brand.“
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