Kim Kardashian Responds To Being Accused of ‘Blackfishing’: I Would Never Do Anything To Appropriate Any Culture

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian Responds To Being Accused of ‘Blackfishing’: I Would Never Do Anything To Appropriate Any Culture

Over the years, Kim Kardashian has been accused of culture appropriation and ‘Blackfishing’. Now, the 41-year-old media personality/mogul is getting candid about the controversial topic. In a recent interview with i-D magazine , she opens up about the criticism she has received in the past and the challenges she still faces while raising bi-racial children. She said,

“Obviously, I would never do anything to appropriate any culture. But I have in the past got backlash from putting my hair in braids and I understand that. Honestly, a lot of the time it comes from my daughter [North West] asking us to do matching hair.”

She continued,

 “And I’ve had these conversations with her that are like, ‘Hey, maybe this hairstyle would be better on you and not on me.’ But I also want her to feel that I can do a hairstyle with her and not make it that big of a deal either if that’s something that she’s really asking for, and really wants.” 

North West, Kim Kardashian

Still, Kim Kardashian admits that she’s “learned and grown” over the years in an effort to “communicate” with her kids about their cultural background. She said, 

“I’ve learned and grown over the years and figured out good ways to communicate to all my kids about all of this. I’ve definitely learned over time, and  I’ve tried to pass that culture of learning onto my kids too, but then there’s also a history of braiding hair in Armenia and people forget that I am Armenian as well.”

Kim Kardashian West, Kanye West and kids North, Chicago, Psalm, and Saint

Kardashian has faced criticism about her braided hairstyles on several occasions, including the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards and a photo shoot shared via Instagram in 2020. In 2019, the reality tv star found herself in yet another controversy when she announced that her shapewear line, which is now known as Skims, was  going to be called Kimono- a term used to describe a traditionally Japanese garment. 

After receiving major backlash, Kardashian immediately apologized and explained the intent in naming the shapewear line Kimono. She said,

 “I came up with the Kimono name because it was a play on my name, and because I was so inspired by Japanese culture. To me, it was just paying homage to it, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t being seen that way. I would never intentionally try to appropriate the culture in that way.”

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