Gigi Hadid has criticized Kanye West for “bullying” fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.
The rapper sparked controversy on Monday when he stepped out at his Yeezy fashion show staged as part of Paris Fashion Week wearing a shirt with the “White Lives Matter” slogan emblazoned across the back.
Following the event, Karefa-Johnson called out West for his “indefensible behavior,” and a short time later, he uploaded a string of posts about the Vogue contributing editor, including one in which he diminished her outfit choices and labeled her “not a fashion person.”
In light of the controversy, Hadid took to Instagram to defend Karefa-Johnson.
“You wish u had a percentage of her intellect. You have no idea haha…. If there’s actually a point to any of your s### she might be the only person that could save u,” she wrote. “As if the ‘honor’ of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You’re a bully and a joke.”
Kanye said he met with Karefa-Johnson earlier today and the pair went out to dinner, the rapper revealed in an all-cap post.
“IT FELT LIKE SHE WAS BEING USED LIKE TREVOR NOAH AND OTHER BLACK PEOPLE TO SPEAK ON MY EXPRESSION SHE EXPRESSED THAT HER COMPANY DID NOT INSTRUCT HER TO SPEAK ON MY T SHIRT EXPRESSION,” Kanye revealed.
“WE APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER FOR THE WAY WE MADE EACH OTHER FEEL WE ACTUALLY GOT ALONG AND HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED THE FIGHT FOR ACCEPTANCE IN A WORLD THAT’S NOT OUR OWN. SHE DISAGREED I DISAGREED WE DISAGREED,” Ye said.
Ye has not yet explained why he chose to wear the top to the Yeezy show, as White Lives Matter is a white supremacist phrase that originated as a racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It can spread toxic confusion and be used to legitimize violent assaults on Black people,” they commented. “Battling misinformation while continuing to do the hard that liberation requires is nothing new for us.”