Kylie Jenner denies claim she shared new photos of her family to distract from Balenciaga scandal

Kylie Jenner has shut down claims that she posted new photos of her family to “cover up for Balenciaga” amid backlash over the luxury brand’s recent campaigns involving children.

Balenciaga has found itself embroiled in controversy over two recent ad campaigns. One of the ads, the designer’s gift collection campaign, featured children posing with the brand’s teddy bear purses, which critics pointed out appear to be wearing BDSM and bondage-inspired accessories.

The second ad under scrutiny is Balenciaga’s Spring 2023 campaign, for its use of a printout of a Supreme Court decision on child pornography.

Amid the backlash, Kim Kardashian, a Balenciaga ambassador, said she was “re-evaluating” her relationship with the brand. “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 said, adding that, as a mother of four, she has been “shaken by the disturbing images”.

However, many of Kardashian’s famous family members have chosen not to speak out publicly against the brand, including her younger sister Kylie Jenner. Unlike the statement shared to Kardashian’s social media accounts, Jenner’s recent social media posts have focused instead on her personal life, with a post shared on Monday dedicated to her partner Travis Scott and their two children, daughter Stormi, four, and their nine-month-old son.

In the Instagram album, which she captioned: “Highlights,” Jenner shared multiple new photos of the nine month old to joy from fans.

The post prompted some to suggest that Jenner had an ulterior motive, however, as TikTok user Julie Theis, who goes by the username @psychadvice, alleged in a video posted on Monday that the Kardashian/Jenner clan posted the new photos to distract from the Balenciaga scandal.

“Kris Jenner telling her kids to release the good photos after the Balenciaga scandal,” Theis wrote in a text caption on the video, which included screenshots of the photos posted by Jenner, as well as recent photos posted to Kardashian’s Instagram. She set the video to the lyrics “So everybody, just follow me. ‘Cause we need a little controversy. ‘Cause it feels so empty, without me” from Eminem’s song “Without Me”.

The TikTok video prompted a response from Jenner, who denied that Balenciaga influenced her decision to share the never-before-seen photos of her family.

“Uh whyyyy would I post my child to cover up for Balenciaga? This is why I don’t do this. Always something to say,” Jenner wrote in the comments under Theis’ video.

Following Jenner’s response, many fans defended Jenner on the basis that the blame lies with the brand.

“They have nothing to ‘apologise’ for. The blame is on the brand, not them,” one person wrote, while another said: “They don’t owe us an explanation for something they were not a part of!”

“Agree with Kylie!! Not her responsibility to cover up something she had nothing to do with,” someone else added.

The Independent has contacted Balenciaga and a representative for Jenner for comment.