Kim Kardashian’s fragrance launch did not go the way she planned as social media backlash following the product launch, with people calling the 39-year-old “tone-deaf.”
The Mirror reports that Kardashian went on Twitter to promote KKWxKRIS, a collaboration between Kardashian’s mother, Kris Jenner, and her own KKW brand. While dedicated fans expressed excitement, there were more people questioning the sense in promoting a $40 perfume during a global pandemic.
For instance, one Twitter user blasted Kardashian for her boundless “love of money.” The user said that Kardashian was tone-deaf and shameless with her promotion, considering “people dying” and having no kobs as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the world.
Another said that while they appreciated Kardashian’s hustle, they also thought that launching a product in this environment was not the right choice. The user said that they were more worried about losing their apartment and being able to feed their family.
Yet another user said that with the number of people dying, food was the more important purchase to be made.
As for the fragrance itself, Page Six quotes the press release saying it has a “timeless, woody white floral scent.” The bottle design is meant to reflect the neutral color palette of Kardashian’s home as well as a close mother-daughter bond.
In what the Mirror says was a reaction to the outrage, Kardashian also announced a charity component to go along with the fragrance launch. Kardashian said 20 percent of all sales from Apr. 15 to May 15 will go to charity organization Blessings in a Backpack, which is feeding children left hungry by the school closures happening in the United States. Kardashian said the move was in support of COVID-19-affected families.
The coronavirus continues to spread all across the world, with the World Health Organization situation report dated Apr. 7, putting the number of confirmed cases at 1,279,722 people. The number of dead is 72,614 people.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update for Apr. 7 puts total cases at 374,329 people, with the number of dead at 12,064 people.
This new online brouhaha is only the latest one Kardashian has been involved with over the past few weeks. A couple of weeks ago, the feud between her and Taylor Swift was reignited after a 25-minute long video appeared to prove that Taylor Swift was the one telling the truth during their earlier 2016 feud. Kardashian called Swift "self-serving" during this reignited feud, while Swift's publicist took a jab at Kardashian on her Twitter account.