Kim Kardashian's Latest Photo Shoot Sparks Outrage

Keeping Up with the Kardashians star and business mogul Kim Kardashian adopted a more calm persona in 2014 after marrying Kanye West and having four kids within six years. Now focused on motherhood, Paris Hilton's former BFF and ex-nude-selfie-lover explained to The Cut in November 2019 how a personal "awakening" has inspired her to be more conservative. But although Kardashian has successfully toned down the sexiness in her life, she hasn't been as effective in dodging controversy.

Just one prime example? Kim Kardashian's latest photoshoot, released in December 2019, has sparked outrage. Yep, Kardashian is set to end 2019 on a fairly disastrous note. And we're not sure whether momager extraordinaire Kris Jenner will be able to fix this drama.

Before we get into the cringe-worthy shoot itself, let us remind you this isn't the first time Kardashian has faced backlash related to her businesses. In June 2019, Kardashian was accused of cultural appropriation in regards to her shapewear line, to name one example.

So what mess did Kardashian get herself into this time?

On Dec. 19, 2019, Kardashian shared photos from her shoot with 7HOLLYWOOD magazine, an "LA based biannual fashion, celebrity and art magazine distributed worldwide," according to the outlet's Instagram page. It looks like Kardashian attempted to give off Elizabeth Taylor vibes with her bouffant of black hair and accessories of diamonds — she looks very old school glam. But some people could only focus on one thing.

While we don't know the specifics of the photo shoot outside of the final product Kardashian shared on Instagram, many angry people on the internet think she's guilty of intentionally darkening her skin to such an extent that they're claiming she's in blackface. 

"Y'all really finna let Kim Kardashian cosplay as a black woman for the rest of her life and not say nothing huh?" one person tweeted.

Someone else said, "Don't tell me s*** about a sun tan fam. Kim Kardashian is in black face in that magazine."

But a source supposedly close Kardashian countered to Page Six, "It's the lighting that makes her look darker in this specific image. There are multiple covers and images from this shoot where the lighting looks more natural." They continued, "People are so quick to find the negative in everything and also often forget that she is of Armenian descent." 

This isn't the first time Kim Kardashian has landed — or been put into — hot water due to accusations of cultural appropriation. Remember the debacle with her shapewear line? For that, she initially planned to name it Kimono Solutionwear, which she announced in June 2019. Although it might have seemed like a fun play on her first name, many people — including the mayor of Kyoto, Japan, — found it offensive to Japanese culture. "Kimono is a traditional ethnic dress fostered in our rich nature and history with our predecessors' tireless endeavors and studies, and it is a culture that has been cherished and passed down with care," Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa reportedly wrote to Kardashian in a letter, according to The Japan Times.

Kardashian ultimately apologized for the "Kimono" gaffe, writing in one tweet, "I am always listening, learning and growing – I so appreciate the passion and varied perspectives that people bring to me. When I announced the name of my shapewear line, I did so with the best intentions in mind."

The shapewear line is now known as Skims, a much better name, especially when it comes to a product that's meant to flatter your figure. But we're not sure why this happened in the first place, considering Kardashian had already learned a lesson in appropriation before even this incident...

Unfortunately, Kim Kardashian's December 2019 photoshoot wasn't even the first time she was accused of blackface. That's right, Kardashian supposedly darkened her skin back in 2017 to promote her Kim Kardashian West (KKW) beauty contour and highlight. 

"You don't have to do blackface," one person tweeted a side-by-side photo of Kardashian's different skin tones, seemingly providing evidence of the darkening.

Kardashian denied purposely causing controversy, arguing on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians (via Marie Claire), "We wanted them really moody; it was really tan. I wanted to show the contour. The photos ended up being a little bit darker than I was. There were some people online saying I was doing blackface and the photos were inappropriate."

Kardashian also tried to shift blame, stating, "The internet world is so toxic, and I feel like people are just waiting for you to make a mistake. Just to point out," though eventually conceded, "I think have to address it because if I don't it'll turn in one of those situations where people will think I'm trying to ignore something serious."

We're not sure if Kardashian will ever learn from her mistakes, but we do know the Kardashian family is no stranger to uncomfortable moments...