‘This Is A Massive Scandal’: Bethenny Frankel Questions Why Kim Kardashian & Bella Hadid Have Yet To Sever Ties With Balenciaga
Nov. 28 2022, Published 1:30 p.m. ET
Bethenny Frankel said celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid may not be cutting ties with Balenciaga because they still want to be paid and appear on the front row of fashion shows.
Over the weekend, the ex-Real Housewives of New York, 52, posted a series of videos addressing the Balenciaga scandal. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the fashion house is under fire after releasing an ad campaign with children holding BDSM dolls.
Another ad released by Balenciaga featured documents pertaining to a Supreme Court decision involving child pornography. The backlash has been swift with many calling for a boycott of the brand. Kim, Bella and Nicole Kidman — who model for the company — have been called to take action and stop working with Balenciaga.
Kim was the first to speak out saying she was “shocked and appalled” by the images but stopped short of ending her relationship with Balenciaga.
Bethenny said many asked her why it was hard for celebrities to distance themselves. She said, “This is a massive scandal,” she said.
The reality show mogul explained that from a “business standpoint” the celebrities who are being paid by the brand are most likely not allowed to legally speak negatively about the company.
She said on top of the money the celebrities want to stay getting invited to the Met Gala and being placed on the cover of magazines.
“Fashion has power,” she said. “People these days like Anna Wintour have more power than people in the entertainment industry.”
In another video, Bethenny pointed out Balenciaga is owned by a company named Kering. She said that the company not only owns Balenciaga but Gucci and a ton of other fashion houses.
“Perhaps, people who are in business with any of those fashion houses don’t want to comment,” Bethenny hypothesized.
She then revealed that Balenciaga’s fragrance was licensed to a company called Coty which is the same company that purchased Kylie Jenner’s lip kit company for $600 million and 20% of Kim’s business for $200 million in 2021.