Just a few years after the brand dropped its contract with Bergdorf in response to her social media posts about racism and white supremacy.
As brands navigate the choppy waters of communicating in the midst of widespread protests against racism and police brutality, some are learning that social media posts can go very wrong if they’re seen as incongruous with the company’s values and actions.
On Monday, L’Oréal Paris shared a post that read “speaking out is worth it” above a brand logo, along with a caption that read: “L’Oréal Paris stands in solidarity with the Black community, and against injustice of any kind. We are making a commitment to the @naacp to support progress in the fight for justice. #BlackLivesMatter.”
But Munroe Bergdorf, a model whose contract with L’Oréal was canceled in 2017 after she spoke out about racism in the wake of a neo-Nazi rally, was quick to remind followers of her own experience with the brand just three years ago.
“You dropped me from a campaign in 2017 and threw me to the wolves for speaking out about racism and white supremacy. With no duty of care, without a second thought,” she posted on Twitter. “I had to fend for myself being torn apart by the world’s press because YOU didn’t want to talk about racism. You do NOT get to do this. This is NOT okay, not even in the slightest.”
Bergdorf has shared in the past that the media hubbub around the fallout with L’Oréal in 2017 resulted in her receiving rape and death threats. She’s also noted on other occasions that on the set for the True Match campaign that she was supposed to be a part of before her contract was canceled, the makeup artist had to use another brand because L’Oréal didn’t carry the right shade for Bergdorf’s skin.
And though Bergdorf did not say anything about it, it’s worth noting that L’Oréal has nowhere clarified what commitment, exactly, it has made to the NAACP. (Fashionista has reached out to the company for comment and will update if L’Oréal responds.)
“I said yesterday that it would only be a matter of time before RACIST AF brands saw a window of PR Opportunity. Fuck you. Fuck your ‘solidarity’. Where was my support when I spoke out?” she tweeted.
Bergdorf’s followers quickly rallied around her, with many pledging to boycott the brand and petitioning for it to apologize to her. Meanwhile, L’Oréal took to Instagram again the next day to post a black square to its grid with the hashtag #blackouttuesday, participating in the Black Out Tuesday initiative that many are calling counter-productive in the effort to stand with Black activists and protestors.
Still, Bergdorf seemed heartened by the response of her followers, if not that of the brand.
“I’m not holding my breath for an apology, it’s been three years, but thank you to whoever has set up the petitions, it means a lot,” she shared. “Love you all. Stay safe.”
Source: Fashionista.com
