Kim Kardashian Breaks Silence On Balenciaga’s ‘Disturbing’ Campaign: ‘I’ve Been Shaken’

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Kim Kardashian took to Twitter to break her silence about the viral Balenciaga scandal on Nov. 27. In her first statement about the matter, Kim explained why she took so long to publicly say anything about the brand’s controversial campaign, which featured children posing with BDSM-inspired items. “I have been quiet for the past few days, not because I haven’t been disgusted 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,” Kim wrote.

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.

— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) November 27, 2022

Over the last few years, Kim has formed a close relationship with Balenciaga. She walked in the brand’s fashion show in Paris back in July and has worn their clothing on a number of occasions. Her statement continued, “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 should have no place in our society – period. I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaign 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.”

Because of Kim’s close ties to Balenciaga, fans have been urging her to make a statement about this scandal for days. Based on her message, she does not appear to be cutting ties with Balenciaga, despite the controversy.

In addition to the disturbing images of children with the bondage-inspired teddy bears, the Balenciaga campaign also featured court documents from a child pornography case in the background of the images. The photographer who shot the campaign spoke out about the scandal on Instagram, writing, “I must stress that i was not entitled in [any] manner to neither choose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same. As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to lit the given scene and take shots according to my signature style.”

Balenciaga has pulled the ad amidst backlash. “We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused,” the fashion house said in a statement. “Our plush bear bags should have not been featured with children in this campaign. We immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.” Balenciaga has also filed at $25 million lawsuit against the producers of the add, North Six Inc., and the set designer, Nicholas Des Jardins, according to Page Six.