Kim Kardashian accused of cultural appropriation after wearing long plaits
Kim Kardashian is no stranger to controversy; whether she's breaking the internet in an ensemble that leaves very little to the imagination (and good on her), or punching her sister Kourtney in the family's eponymous reality television show, it will always make the headlines. Sometimes, however, it's not for the best reasons. Case in point: the 39-year-old has once again been accused of cultural appropriation.
Kim was seen sporting a tightly braided hairstyle at Kanye West's Paris Fashion Week show yesterday. The mother of four donned a Yeezy jacket over a beige plunge crop top, baggy high-waisted grey trousers and nude heels. But she was quickly slammed after posting photos of the look to Twitter, with users accusing her of appropriating black culture.
"Just because your daughter is mixed and your husband is black doesn’t mean you are," wrote one Twitter user, while another corroborated "Bruh why do you keep doing this? You think she’d learn. Put your hair up in a high pony and go to the fashion show like everyone else."
"You are not black this s**t is so racist. PLEASE listen to the Black people telling you that this is cultural appropriation & not okay. Black people face legal discrimination simply because of their hair and you get to just wear it for fun. do recognize how privileged this is? [sic]," wrote another.
A fourth added, "You know damn well that u wouldn’t be doing those braids if you weren’t married to Kanye West, a black man. Lol. Just cause u with a black man don’t mean you’re black too now [sic]."
Kim has defended herself in the past against accusations of cultural appropriation.
"I actually did that look because North said she wanted braids and asked if I would do them with her," she told Bustle regarding the fulani braids controversy.
Watch as Kim punches Kourtney Kardashian in this dramatic Keeping up with the Kardashians scene:
"I [do] remember the backlash when I had the blonde hair and that I called them ‘Bo Derek braids.’ But I obviously know they’re called fulani braids and I know the origin of where they came from and I’m totally respectful of that. I’m not tone deaf to where I don’t get it. I do get it."
This article originally appeared on VT.co