Last Updated on November 28, 2022
A star NFL wide receiver has sounded off against Balenciaga over recent advertisements posted by the luxury fashion house where young girls were pictured holding BDSM-clad teddy bears.
The Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp released a statement demanding Balenciaga be held “responsible” for their extremely disturbing ads.
Kupp described Balenciaga as a company that “manipulate[s] people and advertise[s] evil.”
“To try to be a voice for our children, who rely on the protection of the men and women that were entrusted the responsibility of nurturing them and raising them up: please make yourself aware of the attack against our young ones by @balenciaga, and ensure that they are held responsible for it. For those of us in positions to create change in the way that companies manipulate people and advertise evil, please stand up!” the NFL star posted on Twitter.
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) November 27, 2022
While Balenciaga eventually released an apology for its advertising, many social media users believe it was a weak response.
READ THE FULL STORY: Balenciaga Ad Showcases Hypersexualized Child Models, Child Porn Court Docs
“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,” Balenciaga posted on Instagram, attempting to blame a third-party.
“my problem with this statement from #Balenciaga is as a photographer i understand the steps it takes for a shoot to happen so for them to say they had no idea i call bullshit, they could said no at the meeting, at the session , at reviewing the pics and before posting them,” one Twitter user said of the apology.
my problem with this statement from #Balenciaga is as a photographer i understand the steps it takes for a shoot to happen so for them to say they had no idea i call bullshit, they could said no at the meeting, at the session , at reviewing the pics and before posting them pic.twitter.com/Au9cIB1ICT
— K-Liss Photography (@KLSMTL) November 22, 2022
“No way this campaign was “not approved”. An instagram apology and a promise of investigation is simply not enough. This is sickening. This is child abuse. There is no reason why #Balenciaga should have even thought that this campaign was okay. Simply disgusting,” another user posted to Twitter.
No way this campaign was “not approved”. An instagram apology and a promise of investigation is simply not enough. This is sickening. This is child abuse. There is no reason why #Balenciaga should have even thought that this campaign was okay. Simply disgusting. #BalenciagaGate pic.twitter.com/lJAWyQoU0r
— Eloy Alvarez (@realEloyAlvarez) November 23, 2022
National File previously reported on Balenciaga’s advertising campaign and the controversy it sparked:
Balenciaga, a luxury fashion house, rolled out advertisements that display two young girls posing with BDSM-clad teddy bears with Balenciaga bondage and kink material in the foreground…
Another Balenciaga advertisement displaying a handbag on a cluttered workspace alarmed social media users after a court document from a virtual child porn case was spotted on the desk.
The document contains an excerpt from the United States Supreme Court’s opinion on United States v. Williams. This case upheld part of a federal child pornography law criminalizing “advertising, promoting, presenting or distributing child pornography even if the underlying material does not constitute child pornography.”
READ THE FULL STORY: Balenciaga Ad Showcases Hypersexualized Child Models, Child Porn Court Docs
Stay tuned to National File for any updates.