Kanye West, Kim Kardashian slam Balenciaga 'Kiddie Porn' row, but no one is buying it
Following the recent Balenciaga scandal over the sexualisation of children, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have broken their silence on the controversy. However, their statements are not fooling anyone.
What: The French haute couture company apologised after their recent ad campaign which featured children carrying the brand's 'plush bear bags', which are wearing S&M-style harnesses. Another advert had a kid lying on a sofa, with S&M accessories strewn all over the room.
Yet another advert, for their 'hourglass bag' displayed documents from the Supreme Court related to child pornography cases.
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'
— shoe (@shoe0nhead) November 21, 2022
normal stuff pic.twitter.com/zjMN5WhZ0s
What Balenciaga is saying: Following the intense backlash from the Internet, the fashion company issued an apology on their Instagram Stories saying,
Balenciaga also scrubbed their official Instagram account clean, and left only an apology note on it.
- "We want to learn from our mistakes and identify ways we can contribute. Balenciaga reiterates its sincere apologies for the offense we have caused and extends its apologies to talents and partners," the statement said.
Celeb-speak: A number of celebrities have spoken up against the campaign, labelling the advertisements “disgusting” and “over-sexualised”.
Most recently, Balenciaga’s former collaborator, Kanye West, called the company out.
Kanye West (Ye) On How Celebrities Have Remained Silent about Balenciaga - Says it Shows Who Really Controls Them
— New World Odor™ (@hugh_mankind) November 27, 2022
"This just shows you all celebrities are controlled. You don't see no celebrities talking about the Balenciaga situation." pic.twitter.com/y9oVTxScyG
Once one of Balenciaga’s most profitable collaborators, having just made his debut on the Balenciaga ramp as well, the company severed all ties with West last month, following his bouts of antisemitism.
Balenciaga severed their ties with @kanyewest due to a tweet.
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) November 22, 2022
Yet they expect us to just “accept their apology” after they get caught up sexualizing children?
They’re not apologizing because they’re sorry. They’re apologizing because they got caught.
The criticism of Kim K's criticism: The rapper’s ex-wife and current Balenciaga collaborator, Kim Kardashian, also spoke out against the company, condemning its campaign and reevaluating her partnership with the company.
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.
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) November 27, 2022
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
Kim Kardashian said that she was 'currently re-evaluating' her relationship with the brand.
However, Kim K's tweets did not fool anyone. Several people on Twitter called her out for her wishy-washy, ambiguous reaction to the entire controversy. What also left people quite stunned, and not in a good way, was that Kim herself is mother to four children: North West (9), Saint West (6), Chicago West (4) and Psalm West (3).
Kim Kardashian says she hasn’t decided whether she will cut ties with Balenciaga.
— Layah Heilpern (@LayahHeilpern) November 28, 2022
Imagine being super rich and still choosing money instead of protecting children from paedophiles. And she’s a mother! It’s sick.
People really expected Kim Kardashian to condemn Balenciaga ... when she let them put 9-year-old North West in a gimp mask for fashion week LAST MONTH. pic.twitter.com/JImjOkQ6xO
— Kate Shaw (@acutetroll20) November 28, 2022
I respect Kim Kardashian as a businesswoman, but there is no amount of free clothing, money, or fashion shows worth supporting a brand that sexually exploits children.
— Xaviaer DuRousseau (@XAVIAERD) November 28, 2022
Kim—
You are a billionaire. You have FOUR children. You are better than this (I hope). Balenciaga is done. 🚮 https://t.co/lEjVpv08mq
Supermodel Bella Hadid, meanwhile, was quick to respond to the controversy by deleting her recent Instagram post promoting the label, while actress Nicole Kidman, who also appeared in promotional content for Balenciaga, still has images up on her social media.
THEY DELETED ALL OF THEIR INSTAGRAM POSTS LMAO pic.twitter.com/ZWfgROhngr
— shoe (@shoe0nhead) November 21, 2022
Death threats for the photographer: The photographer of the ‘bondage bear’ photoshoot, Gabrielle Galimberti, has reportedly been receiving death threats.
The Supreme Court documents displayed in the advert as part of the production design contained the 2008 US Supreme Court verdict that affirmed the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End Child Exploitation Today (PROTECT) Act that outlaws child pornography and its sale and distribution.
Balenciaga's reaction: Balenciaga has sued the production company North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins, claiming $25 million in damages, reported CNN.
The bigger picture: Balenciaga throwing the production company North Six and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins under the bus comes across as shirking of responsibility on the brand's part. Balenciaga, a brand that has made many statements with their fashion, went very far and very wrong with their latest campaign. Adidas, meanwhile, is still mum on the entire row. Point to note: The 'Messy Desk' advert that had the US Supreme Court's documents splayed on the table, was a collaboration between Balenciaga and Adidas.