The Controversy Surrounding Heidi Montag's Odd Instagram Ad Explained

Heidi Montag is never one to shy away from controversy. The reality star rose to fame after starring in "The Hills," a show all about the young and fabulous living in Los Angeles. She went on to film the series until 2010, but continued to make headlines for her questionable behavior. For one, her response when asked by Vogue about the lack of diversity in "The Hills: New Beginnings" raised quite a few eyebrows. She replied (per Page Six), "I mean Audrina [Patridge] has darker hair. I feel like Mischa [Barton] has darker hair." It's also hard to forget when Montag ate raw liver on Instagram, saying, "You definitely get used to it." Now, Montag's latest Instagram post has caused another stir on the internet.

On April 11, Montag posted a photo from a campaign for S1NGLES Jeans, and people lost it. The supposed new denim company offers single-use jeans "made from a proprietary blend of form-fitting cotton and recycled plastic," according to the brand's website, per Page Six. "The beauty of S1NGLES is that you only wear them once," the site reads. "When you're done with them, you throw them away and wear a new pair. It's that simple." The reaction to Montag's post was overwhelmingly negative, and understandably so, since single-use jeans would be hugely detrimental to our already declining environment. "I'm so embarrassed for you," one IG user commented. "This product is disgusting."

But it turns out, Montag's controversial campaign was just a clever marketing ploy. 

It turns out that Heidi Montag is not actually promoting single-use jeans. She did cause a stir on the internet to draw major attention, but it was all for an important cause. On April 14, Montag posted another video on her Instagram, which this time announced, "Wear S1NGLES jeans. So simple. So convenient. So stupid." She went on to compare single-use jeans to single-use plastic bottles, noting how dumb they are. She continued, "The stupidest single-use product is already out there polluting our oceans." In the video's caption, Montag wrote that she was partnering up with Oceana, an ocean conservation organization, to urge beverage companies to use refillable bottles.

Now, the S1NGLES Jeans website takes users to Oceana's website, where viewers are encouraged to sign a petition that will tell beverage companies to switch over from single-use plastics. Sadly, the site reported that "only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled," so Montag's cause is a noble one.

"I knew it had to be a spoof," one fan commented on Montag's post. "Good job Queen." Another wrote, "Ohhh so it was satire! I love this ad! Speaks volumes!" Thanks to the absurdity of the single-use jeans ad, Montag was surely able to get a ton of eyes on an important issue.