Embarrassing celebrity brands and controversial endorsements

Bella Hadid - Both Calvin Klein and the model are in hot water over the video of Hadid and Lil Miquela kissing. Fans not only accused them of queerbaiting, but also criticized the brand's inability to cast actual lesbian- or bisexual-identifying models in the ad instead. Calvin Klein later issued an apology.

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Jennifer Lawrence -

Jennifer Lawrence was accused of cultural appropriation after photos from a Dior fashion shoot were released. The problem? All of the clothes were supposed to be celebrating Mexican heritage. This left many wondering why they couldn't have just found a Mexican model or actress to be the face of the new line.

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Blac Chyna - The Kardashian-affiliated star partnered with Whitenicious by Dencia on a US$250 skin-lightening cream, and her fans are severely disappointed. According to the brand’s website, the Whitenicious x Blac Chyna Diamond Illuminating & Lightening Cream "brightens and lightens without bleaching skin out."

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Blac Chyna - Many feel that lightening creams perpetuate institutionalized colorism by reinforcing the sad belief that lighter skin is more beautiful. With a predominantly black fan base, Chyna was especially criticized for her plans to promote the product in Nigeria, where excessive skin bleaching is already a huge problem.

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The Jenners - The Jenner sisters' clothing brand Kendall + Kylie has been accused of cultural appropriation and even plagiarism in the past.

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Kylie Jenner - The reality television star first ventured into makeup with the launch of her lip kits in 2015. But it quickly came under fire for poor quality and inappropriate product names, among other criticisms. The line even received heavy backlash from another famous makeup artist Jeffree Star.

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Jeffree Star - Star himself hasn't been free from controversy. His line took a blow when an old video of him resurfaced making racist remarks after which the makeup artist was forced to apologize.

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Paula Deen - Also for controversial racist comments, the celebrity chef had endorsement contracts cancelled by the Food Network, Walmart, Target, Sears, J.C. Penny, and others.

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Kat Von D - Like Jenner, this tattoo artist's line Kat Von D Beauty was also looked down upon for highly inappropriate and sexualized names for lipstick products such as 'Underage Red.'

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Madonna - In 1989, Pepsi paid Madonna a whopping US$5 million for a commercial featuring her song 'Like A Prayer.' When the official music video for the single dropped, which featured burning crosses among other controversial religious footage, Pepsi was met with protest and boycotts, forcing them to cancel their deal with the pop star.

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Kendall Jenner - This Jenner famously sparked an online outrage in 2017 when she appeared in a tone-deaf Pepsi commercial which appeared to make light of important social movements such as Black Lives Matter.

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Beyoncé - Even Queen Bey found herself in hot water as a spokesperson for Pepsi. She was called a hypocrite for promoting the sugary carbonated drink while at the same time being a part of former First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move fitness campaign.

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Michelle Kwan - Similarly, the famous figure skater was condemned for endorsing Coca-Cola while also a member of the prestigious President's Council on Fitness, Nutrition, and Sports.

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Scarlett Johansson - Johansson was chastised by the organization Oxfam, of which Johansson was an ambassador, for her participation in a SodaStream commercial. Turns out the drink company is run out of a factory in West Bank.

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Heidi Montag - While at the height of her 'The Hills' days, the reality star tried to launch a fashion line called Heidiwood. It ultimately failed after a mere seven months. The cheap clothing was described as being flimsy and unwearable.

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Kate Moss - The supermodel lost contracts with H&M, Chanel, and Burberry, after cocaine allegations in 2005.

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Kim Kardashian - In 2017, Kardashian's KKW Beauty released an image promoting the line and their contour in which Kim herself appeared in the photograph with her skin significantly darkened. People were quick to jump on the celebrity comparing it to blackface.

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Kim Kardashian - Years earlier, she sparked outrage as a spokesperson for QuickTrim which she endorsed and praised as highly effective for weight loss. Unfortunately, the pill was found to be totally unhealthy and actually dangerous!

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Ashton Kutcher - Brown face, a fake Indian accent, and racist impersonation was a recipe for disaster that the actor clearly did not see coming. It was in a 2012 commercial for Popchips that Kutcher appeared as the fictional character "Raj."

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OJ Simpson - Hertz, the car rental company, made the wise decision to phase the football player out of its commercials after domestic assault allegations first came to light. This was before the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.

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Sharon Stone - Fashion house Christian Dior decided to drop Sharon Stone as a model for the brand after the actress made some insensitive comments about the China earthquake in May 2008.

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Bill Cosby - When sexual misconduct allegations started to surface, the actor lost endorsement deals from Jell-O, Coca-Cola, and Kodak, among many other organizations who distanced themselves from the comedian.

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Kobe Bryant - Likewise, a sexual assault allegation against the NBA star in 2003 tarnished his reputation and he subsequently lost deals with the likes of McDonald's and Nutella.

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Lil Wayne - After controversial rap lyrics from the rapper on Future's 'Karate Chop' were heard, the folks at Mountain Dew were not too pleased and quickly cut ties with the musician.

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Jessica Alba - Seems like Jessica Alba's The Honest Company isn't so honest. Over the years, it has been hit with plenty of lawsuits for false advertising and marketing practices.

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Chris Brown - Following the domestic violence incident involving his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, Brown was dropped from several commercials and lost major sponsorship deals.

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Helena Bonham Carter - Bizarrely, Helena Bonham Carter was chosen as the spokesperson for Yardley cosmetics but was later dropped after she revealed that she hardly ever wore makeup.

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Lance Armstrong - The famous cyclist infamously lost many endorsement deals, including Nike, after he admitted to doping. He reportedly lost US$75 million worth of sponsorship money in a single day.

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Dakota Fanning - When she posed for Marc Jacobs' Oh, Lola! perfume, there was an immediate reaction to a photograph of a then-17-year-old Fanning holding the perfume bottle between her legs. The advertisement was ultimately banned in the UK for being too racy and suggestive.

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Michael Phelps - The famous US swimmer was dropped from Kellogg Company after an image of him using a bong surfaced in 2009. He was also given a three-month suspension from USA Swimming for his inappropriate behavior.

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Kirstie Alley - As a spokesperson for Jenny Craig, Kirstie Alley upset Twitter users when she used the term "circus fat" in a commercial. Her own weight loss company Organic Liaison faced a lawsuit for false advertising which was later settled in 2013.

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Tiger Woods - Following the cheating scandal that engulfed the golfer in late 2009, he lost sponsorship deals with the likes of Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade, and General Motors.

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The Kardashians -

The reality star sisters tried to launch a credit card in 2010 called the Kardashian Kard but quickly backed away from the project after the credit card's high fees caused an uproar.

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Embarrassing celebrity brands and controversial endorsements

Bella Hadid is facing backlash for queerbaiting in new Calvin Klein ad

21/05/19 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Controversy

On the latest episode of 'What Was This Celebrity Thinking?', Bella Hadid and Calvin Klein are in the spotlight. The brand released a video of the heterosexual-identifying model kissing CGI Instagram influencer Lil Miquela for their #MYCALVINS campaign, and fans are calling them out for queerbaiting.

Check out this gallery to learn more about celebrities' questionable endorsements, failed brands, and embarrassing lost deals.