Did Kendall Jenner’s protest-themed Pepsi ad leave you feeling a little uneasy?
You’re not alone — Jenner herself didn’t feel too good about it. At least that’s the word from Jenner’s sister, Kim Kardashian, who says that Jenner “felt really awful” about the outrage that the ad inspired.
Speaking to Andy Cohen on Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live,” Kardashian said, “She totally understood at the end of the day and she felt really awful for it,” adding, “She just wants to move on from it.”
Kardashian added that she didn’t see the ad until “it had already gotten the attention,” but posited that Jenner, who Kardashian deemed “so sensitive,”would never mean for anyone to perceive anything in a negative way.”
“I think any time someone does anything they don’t have bad intentions — especially Kendall, who’s so sensitive,” she said. “She would never mean for anyone to perceive anything in a negative way.”
In April, Jenner drew widespread wrath for the ad. In the commercial, Jenner, a blonde wig perched atop her head, poses for a photo shoot as sign-carrying marchers take to the street. Encouraged by one of the marchers, Jenner pulls the wig from her head, strides through the crowd, and brings peace to the raucous scene by handing a police officer a can of Pepsi.
“No @pepsi. No @KendallJenner. You are not woke. Can’t believe you’re imitating ‘flower power’ movement to sell soda,” went one outraged reaction on Twitter.
Pepsi initially attempted to defend the ad, saying, “This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that’s an important message to convey,”
However, a day later, the company reversed course, pulling the ad and issuing an apology.
“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding,” the company said in a statement. “Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are pulling the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.”