Kim Kardashian has spoken out on the recent Balenciaga holiday ad accused of sexualizing children, explaining her actions for remaining silent over the issue. The Skims founder, who posed in Balenciaga’s winter 2022 campaign and walked in its Paris couture fashion show in July received backlash for not speaking out about the now-deleted ads, which featured BDSM teddy bears modeled by children. Posting to an Instagram Story Sunday night, Kardashian said the campaign had left her “disgusted and outraged.” She explained: “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. 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 normalise child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society – period. I appreciate Balenciaga’s removal of the campaigns 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.” Kardashian said she was “currently re-evaluating” her 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.”

Instagram