Kim Kardashian ‘Shaken’ by Controversial Balenciaga Ad

Kim Kardashian says she is “re-evaluating” her relationship with Balenciaga in light of the brand’s recent, controversial ad campaign.

Last week, the Spanish fashion label apologized for sharing ads that featured images of young children posing with teddy bears that appeared to be wearing BDSM-inspired accessories.

“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,” Kardashian, 42, wrote in her Instagram story on Sunday.

“As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images,” she continued. “The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period.”

Following the outcry surrounding their recent ad images, Balenciaga deleted all of its Instagram posts and shared a statement of apology on the social media platform.

“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused,” read the statement, which was shared last week. “Our plush bear bag should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”

One image from Balenciaga’s campaign appeared to show text from a 2008 Supreme Court decision that upheld a federal statute related to child pornography, as NBC News reported last week.

While Balenciaga did not reference this text specifically in its statement, the brand apologized for “displaying unsettling documents” in the recent campaign.

“We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our spring 23 campaign photoshoot,” the brand wrote. “We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being.”

In her recent Instagram statement, Kardashian said she appreciates “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,” she added.

Kardashian has collaborated frequently with Balenciaga, appearing in the brand’s campaigns and wearing Balenciaga on the red carpet.

Now, the reality mogul said she is rethinking her partnership with the label.

“As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my 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,” she said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com