Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 12:22 01 Dec 2022 GMT
Megyn Kelly has blasted Kim Kardashian on her show following the 42-year-old's alleged refusal to sever ties with Balenciaga after its latest controversial scandal.
On Tuesday's episode of The Megyn Kelly show, the 52-year-old host described Kardashian as a "disgusting, shameful billionaire", also adding that her statement addressing Balenciaga's photoshoot blunder lacked "significance."
The fashion powerhouse found itself in hot water earlier this week due to a campaign that featured child models posing with teddy bears for the Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
While the concept doesn't sound too risqué, social media users pointed out that the images were highly inappropriate as the children were holding toys that were dressed in BDSM gear, including fishnet tops, studded leather harnesses, and collars with locks.
After the backlash, Balenciaga deleted all traces of the shoot and released a lengthy statement addressing the matter.
"We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to include it in the narrative," the luxury couture company wrote on Instagram. "Our plush bear bags and the gift collection should have not been featured with children.
"This was a wrong choice by Balenciaga, combined with our failure in assessing and validating images. The responsibility for this lies with Balenciaga alone."
However, the statement didn't entirely dampen the flames as then celebrities who were in partnership with the brand were forced to speak out on the issue, with Kardashian being the most prominent.
In a statement of her own, she told her 334 million followers that she was "re-evaluating" her relationship with Balenciaga.
"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," the social media personality wrote in her Instagram story.
"As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images," she continued. "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."
Despite the serious sentiment behind the statement, it was reported that the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has not terminated her partnership with the fashion giant, which has re-directed some of the backlash towards her.
One critic who's making her opinion known on the matter is none other than former Fox News journalist and radio host Kelly, who slammed Kardashian for not taking a firmer stand.
"This is 'effed up," Kelly told Sirius XM listeners. “Who gives a s*** how it happened? Just put out a statement, ‘It’s deeply wrong and I will speak with them. But this is effed up.’ It’s really not that hard. She’s too busy trying to get criminals out of jail."
Watch the full show below:"She’s a disgusting, shameful billionaire because the money is worth more than her morals and the protection of these children to her," the 52-year-old added.
So far, there have been no further updates about whether Kardashian plans to fully terminate her partnership with the brand.
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entertainment news4 min(s) read
Published 14:58 28 Nov 2022 GMT
Kim Kardashian has spoken out about her relationship with Balenciaga following backlash to an ad campaign featuring children.
As reported by the New York Post, many social media users have been left "disturbed" after an ad for the fashion brand showed images of children holding teddy bears that appeared to be wearing "bondage outfits".
The images quickly went viral on social media, with one person tweeting: "Balenciaga is very much cancelled in my eyes, I don’t care what explanation they come up with. don’t mess with children."
A second added: "Got rid of all my Balenciaga this weekend. I loved that brand but no apology can ever be enough for what they let happen. Cancelled for good."
And a third wrote: "I thought people were trolling, but nope. It’s real. Maybe this is why Balenciaga left Twitter. They don’t want to be held accountable. Yes, these are children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage outfits."
On Tuesday, the company issued an apology to its Instagram account, writing: "We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms."
The company added: "We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children’s safety and well-being,” the company concluded."
Amid scrutiny of the contentious campaign, one eagle-eyed watchdog spotted the high court documents about child pornography laws.
Additionally, the fashion brand has reportedly launched a $25 million lawsuit against the producers of that particular ad campaign.
The Manhattan Supreme Court summons states that Balenciaga is seeking legal action "to seek redress for extensive damages defendants caused in connection with an advertising campaign Balenciaga hired them to produce."
Now Kim Kardashian - who has a professional relationship with the fashion brand - has spoken out after fans called for her to cut ties with Balenciaga.
In a statement posted to Twitter, the 42-year-old mom-of-four 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."
She 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 of any kind should have no place in our society — period."
"I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns and apology," Kim said in her explanation, before adding: "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."
She concluded her statement by saying: "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 — and the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children."
After revealing that she was just "re-evaluating" her relationship with the fashion brand, some of Kim's fans have been left unimpressed by her statement.
One person replied in a tweet: "Translation - I’m going to pause my business with Balenciaga, until people stop talking about it, then I’m going to continue doing business with Balenciaga."
Another tweeted: "This was Not an accident. This is deep routed. Removal of the campaign and an 'apology' does not fix the actual issue. You know this. Everyone knows this. We’re watching what you do next
@KimKardashian Show us who you are."
lifestyle5 min(s) read
Published 15:31 23 Nov 2022 GMT
A social media user has removed all her Balenciaga products after the brand's latest controversial campaign.
The French fashion brand is under fire after displaying a photo shoot on its website that featured child models posing with the brand's teddy bear handbags for the Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
However, critics pointed out that the advert - which is part of its Toy Stories campaign - showed children holding toys that were seemingly dressed in bondage and BDSM gear, including fishnet tops, studded leather harnesses, and collars with locks.
One outraged user, who goes by the handle @themagnifierlawyer on TikTok, posted a video explaining the problem and revealed that she will be "personally cleaning" her Balenciaga closet.
Check out her TikTok below:The TikToker described the luxury brand as "sick" and showed herself removing the items - which consisted of white and pink sneakers and hoodies - from her wardrobe.
She then said: "So I'm like actually throwing all of this away right now. This is garbage," before opening her front door and putting it in the trash.
Many infuriated users also took to the comment section of the woman's video to praise her and share their disappointment with the brand's appalling campaign.
One person wrote: "Honestly if you actually did this: BRAVO."
Another chimed in and said: "Protect the innocence of our children at all costs."
A third user commented: "I hope more people follow your lead."
A fourth user suggested: "How about we just stop supporting high-end fashion brands cuz they’re all corrupt and disgusting?! Let’s support small businesses!!!"
The attention to the advertisement was also shared on Twitter - by a verified account called @shoeonhead - and the post amassed 79.1K likes.
"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,' Normal stuff," the user wrote.
Since the extensive backlash, the high-end fashion brand - which has been associated with the likes of Kim Kardashian - apologized on their Instagram stories for causing any "offense" with the adverts.
"We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms," they wrote.
Two hours later, the label issued a second apology, after it was pointed out that on a table in another of their pictures displayed a document appearing to show court filings related to a controversial child pornography-related case.
According to the Independent, the document in question is from the 2008 Supreme Court case, United States v Williams, which criminalized the pandering of child pornography.
The ruling reaffirmed the constitutionality of the PROTECT Act - a federal rule that extended penalties for sexual exploitation and other abuse of children.
In a second statement to users on Instagram, Balenciaga wrote: "We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign."
"We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being," the brand added.
The apology comes after Balenciaga quietly removed its Twitter account last week and confirmed to the Business of Fashion on November 14 that it had deleted its page.
Also, prior to deleting all its posts on Instagram, the fashion house was reportedly flooded with comments like "Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition," which is a Supreme Court case regarding the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996.
us3 min(s) read
Published 17:01 14 Nov 2025 GMT
Megyn Kelly is under intense fire online after suggesting on her podcast that Jeffrey Epstein may not technically fit the definition of a pedophile, despite Epstein’s convictions for sex crimes involving minors.
Critics quickly brought up past comments from Kelly that appear to contradict her new stance, intensifying the backlash.
Social media users pointed out a 2018 episode of Megyn Kelly TODAY, in which the former Fox News anchor emphasized that the legal age of consent in California is 18 and stressed that “there’s no consenting for a 14 or even a 17-year-old in these circumstances”.
That firm stance from six years ago has now been contrasted with her latest comments, which many say minimize the gravity of Epstein’s offenses.
On the November 13 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly told listeners that a friend with alleged insider knowledge believed Epstein was “not a pedophile”, but instead preferred “the barely legal type”.
She continued: “He liked 15-year-old girls. I realise this is disgusting… I’m not trying to make an excuse for this. I’m giving you facts. He wasn’t into, like, 8-year-olds. He liked very young teens who could pass for younger but might look legal to a passerby.”
Kelly then cited former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently claimed Epstein possessed “tens of thousands” of videos of child sexual abuse material.
The host said those remarks made her think “for the first time… he was an actual pedophile”, but she immediately cast doubt on Bondi’s credibility, adding that she doesn’t “trust” the former AG.
The host concluded her argument by asserting that no victims have publicly stated they were “under 10” or even “under 14” when they encountered Epstein, suggesting that age differences matter.
When her guest, Batya Ungar-Sargon, pushed back with, “No, it’s not,” Kelly insisted, “There’s a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old.”
Kelly’s comments triggered a massive reaction on X, where both “Epstein” and “Megyn Kelly” quickly shot to the top of the trending list. Users accused her of downplaying abuse and using language that echoes common grooming-related rationalizations.
Comedian Gianmarco Soresi wrote: “It cannot be remembered enough that these were the same people who got worked up about drag brunches.”
Another user stated: “Fifteen-year-olds are underage, and that is statutory rape. Pretty simple.”
Credit: Gary Gershoff / Getty Images.
One X user summed up the general sentiment: “‘He wasn’t a pedophile, he just liked 15-year-olds’ is not the defense you think it is.”
An educator added: “I teach 15-year-olds. They are literal children.”
As of now, Kelly has not issued any public follow-up or clarification.
Kelly’s comments landed on the same day the House Oversight Committee released another batch of documents connected to the Epstein case.
In one newly revealed email, Epstein allegedly wrote that Donald Trump is “the dog that hasn’t barked”, and claimed Trump “knew about the girls” and once asked Ghislaine Maxwell to stop certain behavior.
Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing and has repeatedly dismissed the entire scandal as the “Jeffrey Epstein hoax”.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is preparing to vote next week on whether the Department of Justice must release all remaining files tied to Epstein.
lifestyle3 min(s) read
Published 17:24 28 Nov 2022 GMT
The Balenciaga photographer who shot the recent controversial ad campaign has issued a statement regarding the backlash.
The Spanish luxury brand has been under fire this week, after sharing a photo shoot on its website that featured child models posing with teddy bears for the Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
Critics pointed out that the advert - which is part of its Toy Stories campaign - showed children holding toys that were seemingly dressed in bondage and BDSM gear, including fishnet tops, studded leather harnesses, and collars with locks.
Since the extensive denunciation, the high-end fashion brand apologized on their Instagram stories, and now, the photographer behind the shoot - Gabriele Galimberti - has also come forward to address the criticism in a social media post.
Read Galimberti's statement below:On November 23, Galimberti said he felt "compelled to make" a statement on Instagram following the "hundreds of hate mails and messages [he] received" as a result of the photos I snapped for the Balenciaga campaign.
The 45-year-old National Geographic photographer alleged that, although he shot the pictures, he was "not entitled" to select the products or models featured in the campaign.
"I am not in a position to comment on Balenciaga’s choices, but I must stress that I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same," he wrote.
"As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to [light] the given scene, and take the shots according to my signature style," he continued. "As usual for a commercial shooting, the direction of the campaign and the choice of the objects displayed are not in the hands of the photographer."
In his statement, Galimberti claimed the criticism directed at him over the campaign was misplaced and said it "distracts from the real problem and criminals".
The photographer also took the opportunity to explain that he has "no connection" with the photos in which a "Supreme Court document appears".
According to Galimberti, the photo in which the court papers could be seen was "taken in another set by other people and was falsely associated with my photo".
Galimberti's apology comes after the brand - which has been associated with the likes of Kim Kardashian - apologized on their Instagram stories for causing any "offense" with the adverts.
"We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms," they wrote.
Two hours later, they issued a second apology on the Supreme Court case and said: "We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot."
The brand added: "We strongly condemn [the] abuse of children in any form. We stand for children's safety and well-being."
celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 16:29 26 Aug 2025 GMT
Fans have come to Kim Kardashian's defense after her 12-year-old daughter, North West, was slammed for wearing what some critics labeled an “inappropriate” outfit during their vacation.
The mother-daughter duo was photographed leaving dinner at Pierluigi on Saturday night (August 24), with North towering over the SKIMS founder in platform boots and sporting blue ombre pigtails, glasses, a mini skirt, and a corseted top.
While some fans praised the pre-teen’s style, others criticized her mother for allowing her eldest child to wear such an outfit.
“Idc what yall say this isn’t appropriate for a 12 year old. Kim needs to be a a parent and stop tryna be friends with her,” one commenter wrote.
Another added: “Ppl trying to claim it’s not inappropriate are baffling me tho, that’s the outfit of a 24 year old not a 12 year old. A corset and platforms on a 12 year old is insane,” while a third posted: “I'm sorry but 12y/o wearing a push-up corset is crazy no matter what excuses y'all give."
But many fans jumped to Kardashian’s defense, arguing the criticism was misplaced. “It’s literally not up to Kim to shield her children from weirdos. It’s up to the general public to not be weird,” penned one supporter on X.
Another added: “People are weird as f*** about north west online. leave that girl alone,” while a third praised North’s individuality: “I actually love how Kim is [letting] north express herself and find her style and not putting her in this box like a lot of parents do."
The 44-year-old shares North, as well as Saint, nine, Chicago, seven, and Psalm, six, with her ex-husband Kanye West.
The pair married in 2014 before divorcing in 2022. Their co-parenting has been rocky, with West repeatedly lashing out online over decisions about their children.
“DONT WANT TO JUST ‘SEE’ MY KIDS. I NEED TO RAISE THEM. I NEED TO HAVE SAY,” the rapper posted via X in March, complaining that his daughters wore “lipstick and perfume.” He also likened visits with them to jail “visitation," per Page Six.
The reality TV star, meanwhile, has publicly expressed concern over her ex-husband's behavior, particularly after he featured North alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs on a controversial track.
A source previously told the outlet her priority has always been “the well-being and safety of her children.”
The renewed spotlight on North comes as her 48-year-old father faces scrutiny in a new documentary, In Whose Name?, which examines his increasingly erratic behavior over the past six years.
In the trailer, the SKIMS founder's voice is heard emotionally reflecting on his changes: “Your personality was not like this a few years ago," Metro reported.
The documentary, which was directed by Nico Ballesteros, will be released on September 19.
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