Gigi Hadid Calls Kanye West a ‘Bully and a Joke’ Following ‘White Lives Matter’ Shirt Controversy
Gigi Hadid slammed Kanye West for dragging Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson after the fashion journalist reacted to the rapper's "White Lives Matter" shirt, which he wore during Paris Fashion Week.
The "Heartless" rapper wore the shirt during his Yeezy fashion show, posing in it in a photo with conservative commentator Candace Owens.
The phrase is a slogan used by white supremacist groups, which is why the moment garnered immediate backlash. It is considered a "hate slogan" by the Anti-Defamation League, according to People.
History-making Vogue editor Karefa-Johnson reacted to the shirt on Instagram.
"I guess I get what he tried to do ... he thought it was duchampian. It wasn't. It didn't land and it was deeply offensive, violent, and dangerous," she wrote in an Instagram Story.
In another Story, she continued, "The T-shirts this man conceived, produced, and shared with the world are pure violence. There is no excuse, there is no art here."
Following Karefa-Johnson's series of Stories, Kanye posted two photos to his own page mocking her boots and outfit.
"This is not a fashion person ... You speak on Ye ... Ima speak on you ... Ask Trevor Noah," he wrote, calling her a "droid."
"I KNOOOOOOW ANNA HAAAATES THESE BOOTS," he added next to a close-up of Karefa-Johnson's boots.
Hadid, whose February 2021 solo Vogue cover was styled by Karefa-Johnson, came to her defense in Kanye's Instagram comments section, under a screenshot of a text seemingly encouraging him to have a real conversation about the shirt.
"You wish u had a percentage of her intellect. You have no idea haha…. If there’s actually a point to any of your sh-- she might be the only person that could save u," Hadid, who is friends with fellow model Kendall Jenner, a.k.a. Kanye's former sister-in-law, 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," the model added.
Many supported Hadid's comments. "Glad Gigi Hadid used her platform to defend Gabriella," one person tweeted of the situation, while another wrote that she was "so real for putting kanye west in his place."
Hadid wasn't the only celebrity who publicly slammed the shirt.
Kanye's ex Julia Fox re-posted Karefa-Johnson's Instagram post to her own Story after Kanye began attacking the editor.
Meanwhile, Jaden Smith tweeted that he "had to dip" from the show when he saw what was going on before tweeting "Black Lives Matter" and "We Demand A More Progressive Future."