Kim Kardashian Responds to ‘Blackface’ Allegations: ‘I Have Learned From It’
“I would obviously never want to offend anyone,” reality TV star says
Tim Kenneally | June 19, 2017 @ 1:00 PM
Last Updated: June 19, 2017 @ 1:01 PM
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Kim Kardashian addressed accusations that she employed “blackface” in a photo promoting her makeup line, saying that she “would obviously never want to offend anyone” but that she nevertheless “learned from” the experience.
The reality TV star, who was raked over the coals on social media last week after posting a photo promoting the first product in her KKW Beauty line, sought to set the record straight in an interview published Monday by the New York Times.
“I would obviously never want to offend anyone. I used an amazing photographer and a team of people,” Kardashian said. “I was really tan when we shot the images, and it might be that the contrast was off. But I showed the image to many people, to many in the business. No one brought that to our attention. No one mentioned it.
Kardashian continued, “Of course, I have the utmost respect for why people might feel the way they did. But we made the necessary changes to that photo and the rest of the photos. We saw the problem, and we adapted and changed right away. Definitely I have learned from it.”
The image drew heavy criticism last week on Twitter, where one detractor wrote, “I love Kim but that’s def black face in the form of makeup she is no where near that dark.”
Another poster wondered, “How did a team of PR people all look at the photo of Kim in blackface and then tell her to post it AND make it her avatar?”
To be fair, some Twitter users came to the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star’s defense.
“She’s Armenian, aka naturally darker complected, let’s all calm down,” one Kardashian defender offered.
“So we’re just gonna pretend like it’s not summer and she doesn’t live in California!? For real y’all, calm down,” another wrote.
10 Stars Whose Blackface Blunders Backfired, From Ted Danson to Kylie Jenner (Photos)
Don't even think of mimicking these celebrities.
Joni Mitchell
The singer posed in blackface on the cover of her album "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" in 1977, and later went on to justify it by saying, "I have experienced being a black guy."
The "Cheers" star appeared at a N.Y. Friars Club Roast in 1993 with then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg wearing blackface makeup to perform an offensive N-word-filled comedy routine.
The Oscar-winning actor came under fire in 2012 when video surfaced of a 2004 school fundraiser featuring Hanks and another man wearing blackface and stereotypical African clothing. Hanks later condemned the bit as "horribly offensive."
The host of "America's Next Top Model" took heat, as did her show, for a photo shoot in 2009 in which competing models were made to look "biracial." Styling techniques included the darkening of contestants' skin.
Paula Deen
Following the epicure's ouster from the Food Network in the wake of her infamous N-word controversy, Deen posted a photo on Twitter from her show's 2011 Halloween episode featuring her son, Bobby, dressed as Ricky Ricardo, complete with brownface makeup.
Beyoncé
The diva took heat for a 2011 L'Officiel Paris cover with an "African Queen" theme for which the pop star's skin was darkened.
The singer/dancer/actress drew criticism over a 2013 Halloween costume for which she donned dark makeup to masquerade as Uzo Aduba's "Orange Is the New Black" character Crazy Eyes.
The YouTuber known for his outrageous characters in 2014 was forced to apologize for the use of blackface in some of his videos, including a parody of talk show host Wendy Williams.
Kylie Jenner
Fans of the reality star jumped all over a photo she posted to her Instagram account from a 2015 shoot, outraged that her skin appeared to be darkened. "This is a black light and neon lights people lets all calm down," Jenner responded.
Luann de Lesseps
The former countess and "Real Housewives of New York" star apologized for her 2017 Halloween costume as Diana Ross -- even though she insisted that she didn't actually do blackface. "I had bronzer on that I wear normally like the rest of my skin," she later told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live." "So I didn’t add anything to or would ever, ever dream of doing a blackface. Ever."
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These celebrities offer a timely reminder that it’s never OK — so don’t try it
