Brittany Aldean Trashes Balenciaga Amid Backlash for Bondage Teddy Bear Ad
Brittany Aldean is making a statement to Balenciaga. As a result of the designer label's controversial campaigns, the mother of two and wife of country singer Jason Aldean announced on Wednesday that she was done owning its products. On her social media, Aldean posted a picture of herself holding her Balenciaga clothing and accessories in clear plastic bags with the caption, "It's trash day." Her husband left a comment with clapping hands emoji on the photo, who wrote, "show em how to 'walk the walk' babe!" Aldean's action stems from the fashion house's recent ad campaigns that have sparked controversy. Its holiday campaign depicted children holding teddy bears dressed in what appeared to be bondage, while the spring campaign referenced a Supreme Court ruling on child pornography. On Nov. 16, the holiday campaign launched and immediately faced backlash. Afterward, the photographer, Gabriele Galimberti, wrote on Instagram that he "was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose [sic] the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same."
Following this, Balenciaga issued a statement on Instagram and filed a $25 million lawsuit against North Six and the Garde-Robe set designer Nicholas Des Jardins. The suit claimed that both parties committed "inexplicable acts and omissions" that were "malevolent or, at the very least, extraordinarily reckless." In a statement released on Nov. 28, the brand wrote, "We strongly condemn child abuse; it was never our intent to include it in our narrative. The two separate ad campaigns in question reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility." In addition to Aldean, rapper and YouTuber Omi In A Hellcat also protested Balenciaga. He burned all his items in a backyard firepit instead of tossing them, cursing anyone who still supported the brand. Kim Kardashian also announced she was 're-evaluating' her partnership with Balenciaga before declining an offer from the brand and pulling the outfits she had planned to wear at an event.
Aldean, 34, has been involved in her own controversy after she posted an Instagram caption in August that read, "I'd really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life." The transphobic comment was swiftly condemned by musicians Maren Morris, Cassadee Pope, and Joy Oladokun. Morris tweeted, "It's so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie," which earned her the nickname "lunatic" by conservatives like Tucker Carlson. Despite that, Morris has responded with enthusiasm, making and selling shirts that say "Lunatic Country Music Person" and donating over $150,000 in proceeds to Trans Lifeline and GLAAD Transgender Media Program.
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