BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Maisie Smith has been criticised for appearing to pose in a pair of Balenciaga shoes in a Valentine's Day post on Instagram. The brand came under fire last year for two separate ad campaigns – one of which depicted children holding teddy bears in bondage gear and another which featured paperwork about child pornography laws.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, EastEnders actor Maisie shared some snaps from her Valentine's celebration with boyfriend and The Wanted singer Max George, captioning the post: “Mr Lover Man.” Alongside a selfie of the couple and another picture of a bed covered in rose petals, the actor also posted a picture of herself wearing some red high-heels.
Followers were quick to spot that the shoes appeared to be from Balenciaga and commented with their disapproval. Kimberly wrote: “Balenciaga really?? What chance do we have if people with your two platforms are sharing this!”
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Leanna commented: “Balenciaga and red shoes wow! Like a lot of the famous people supporting the wronguns of the world.” And Tiah added: “Balenciaga is not the one....unfollowed.”
Balenciaga was hit by scandal last year due to two separate add campaigns. In one, children were photographed holding teddy bear bags with apparent BDSM gear, like studs and harnesses. The other campaign featured text from a Supreme Court ruling about child pornography, a book by a painter known for distributing depictions of toddlers, and a fake college certificate bearing the name of a convicted child abuser.
The brand saw a ferocious backlash, with the hashtag #cancelBalenciaga trending on Twitter and TikTok as people slammed the company for its “inappropriate” images. Kim Kardashian, who has partnered with Balenciaga on a number of occasions, said she was “re-evaluating her relationship” with the company.
On November 22, 2022, Balenciaga apologised for the campaigns on Instagram, saying the teddy bear bags “should not have been featured with children in this campaign”. They also said sorry for the “unsettling documents” in the second campaign.
The company's statement continued: “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. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children’s safety and well-being.”
Maisie Smith has not responded on Instagram to the comments criticising her.
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