Kim Kardashian is “re-evaluating” her relationship with Balenciaga after the brand drew backlash for producing an ad campaign featuring children holding teddy bears dressed in BDSM-style harnesses.
The star broke her silence on the controversy in a statement to Twitter Sunday night, several days after fans began demanding she denounce the luxury fashion house.
“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,” Kardashian tweeted.
“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.”
Balenciaga pulled the troublesome campaign — which followed its spring 2023 ads, one of which featured a printed copy of a US Supreme Court decision on child porn laws in the background — on Tuesday amid growing outcry, and apologized for the bad news bears.
“I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology,” Kardashian continued. “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.”
The Skims founder and reality star has a long history with Balenciaga, having posed for several campaigns for the brand and even walked in its Paris couture show in July.
Nearly an hour after she posted her initial statement, Kardashian, 42, shared a second that threw the future of her relationship with the house into question.
“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,” she wrote.
Fans had been flooding Kardashian’s Instagram comment sections, slamming her for staying silent on the ad campaign.
“Nobody wants to buy anything from you. Speak up and stand for something,” one angry fan commented on her post that promoted a sale on her skincare line.
“When are you going to respond Kim?! Your reputation is on the line here,” another begged.
On Friday, Balenciaga filed a $25 million lawsuit against production company North Six, which managed the logistics for the house’s spring 2023 ads (including the image that includes the page from the Supreme Court decision); North Six was not involved in the teddy bear ads.