Fashion

Kim Kardashian declined Balenciaga campaign offer amid scandal

Kim Kardashian reportedly turned down a 2023 Balenciaga campaign offer after announcing she was “re-evaluating” her partnership with the fashion house amid its BDSM ad scandal.

According to TMZ, the brand approached Kardashian with the offer before the controversial images came out — but she declined the gig shortly after the backlash began.

The reality star, 42, also scrapped numerous Balenciaga outfits she was planning on wearing to upcoming events, and has already reached out to other designers to dress her instead.

Reps for Kardashian and Balenciaga did not immediately respond to Page Six Style’s request for comment.

Kardashian’s decision to ditch the campaign came days before she denounced the brand, saying she was “shaken by the disturbing images.”

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Kim Kardashian in all pink
Kim Kardashian said she was “re-evaluating” her relationship with Balenciaga earlier this week.
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Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian said she was “re-evaluating” her relationship with Balenciaga earlier this week.
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“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 on Monday.

“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
The reality star had to ditch all of the Balenciaga outfits she was supposed to wear to upcoming events.
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The “Kardashians” star, who has posed for several Balenciaga campaigns and walked in its runway show, went on to say she was “re-evaluating” her relationship with the brand — which she has seemingly now cut off completely.

Despite receiving backlash for not calling out the brand sooner, sources told TMZ that the Skims founder is currently not under a contract with the fashion house.

Many other celebrities — including Kardashian’s sister Kylie Jenner — have also spoken out against the luxury brand.

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A young girl is pictured holding a teddy bear in bondage style gear on the gift shop section of the Balenciaga website.
The fashion house has apologized for the disturbing ad images.
Jam Press/Balenciaga
The fashion house has apologized for the disturbing ad images.
Jam Press/Balenciaga
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The outrage began earlier this month after the retailer released an ad campaign featuring children holding teddy bears dressed in BDSM-style harnesses. An image from a separate Balenciaga ad included a Supreme Court ruling about child pornography.

Since then, Balenciaga has apologized twice and pulled the troublesome images.

“We would like to address the controversies surrounding our recent ad campaigns. We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to include it in our narrative,” the brand’s Instagram statement read.

Kim Kardashian in all black
“Any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society,” Kardashian said.
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“The two separate ad campaigns in question reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility.”

The fashion house has since filed a $25 million lawsuit against the “third party” that created the images for “reckless negligence.”