Khloé Kardashian hit back at some of her critics on Wednesday, the day after she sparked outrage on social media with her eye-catching Bratz doll Halloween costume.
However, the 39-year-old Kardashians star only responded to criticism that she was making herself unrecognizable, rather than being more concerned about claims that she was engaging in a practice known as Blackfishing.
The term refers to white or non-black people who use makeup or other cosmetic changes to give the impression that they have darker skin.
Khloé, who spent the rest of Wednesday sharing her kids’ adorable Halloween costumes, took to her Instagram Stories to partially defend herself.
She reposted an earlier video showing her removing some facial prosthetics that gave her and her sister Kim Kardashian their appropriately padded, plastic appearance to resemble Bratz dolls.
Partial response: Khloé Kardashian, 39, responded to criticism of her controversial Bratz doll costume from Halloween, though she avoided responding to the most concerning claims
Mommy’s the Word: Khloé explained how her costume was made in response to fans who criticized her for making herself ‘unrecognizable’, but she ignored numerous complaints that she was ‘Blackfishing’ with the costume
Khloé and Kim’s costumes were perfectly timed, just over two months after their younger sister Kylie Jenner released her own doll collection in collaboration with Bratz.
However, Khloé – who is of Armenian and European descent – was criticized on social media for the costume, as some of her fans and followers thought her skin had darkened because of the look.
“You’re not black, be your own color, that’s white,” one outraged person wrote.
“No, pretending to be a black or brown woman eh,” another added, while a third joked: “OMG black fishing bratz doll, I can’t remember that one.”
Another person claimed her skin was “10 times darker” in the photos she posted to Instagram on Halloween.
In the original photos, it is unclear whether Khloé darkened her face with makeup, or whether the dramatic contouring of her facial features and her significant lip overlining created the illusion that led to the Blackfishing charge.
But Khloé pointedly ignored these claims and instead focused on people who had accused her of making herself unrecognizable.
“Not only did we have silicone prosthetic lips, we also blocked out our eyebrows,” she explained in a caption about the video, in which she dramatically ripped off the prosthetic lips. “We hid our natural eyebrows and we painted fake eyebrows much higher than where real eyebrows would be (sic).”
Controversy: Blackfishing refers to the use of makeup to darken the skin, or the use of clothing or other accessories to make non-black people appear black. Khloé was joined by her sister Kim in creating the Bratz look
Thumbs down: “No, pretending to be a black or brown woman isn’t it,” someone else wrote, while another joked: “OMG black fishing bratz doll I can’t remember that one”
Body horror: Khloé reposted a video of herself dramatically removing her prosthetic lip while explaining what she did to make herself look like a Bratz doll
Confusing factors? In the original photos, it’s unclear whether Khloé darkened her face with makeup, or whether the dramatic contouring of her facial features and her bold lip liner created the illusion of Blackfishing.
‘This gives our eyes the effect of being much larger than they are. Then we’d look more like a doll,” she added matter-of-factly.
Because her response came in her Insta stories and not a regular post, Khloé’s critics couldn’t easily register responses or question her about the unaddressed Blackfishing claims.
However, Khloé is probably used to the criticism that has dogged her and her sisters — especially Kim and Kylie — in recent years.
Kim had been publicly criticized several times, including several times when she wore cornrows and braids typically associated with the black community.
In a 2021 conversation with acclaimed playwright Jeremy O. Harris for iD magazine, the reality star was adamant that she would “never do anything to appropriate any culture” in her style, which is sometimes influenced by her eldest daughter, North West, who is biracial. She shares North and her three younger children with her ex-husband, rapper Kanye West.
“Honestly, a lot of it is because my daughter asks us to do matching hair,” the reality TV icon said.
With appropriate candor, she explained how she has handled the issue with North in the past.
“I’ve had conversations with her like, ‘Hey, maybe this haircut would suit you better and not me,'” she said.
Family problem? Khloé completely ignored the Blackfishing allegations, but her sister Kim has previously responded and denied that she has tried to make herself look like she is Black
Insight: Kim said she occasionally used traditional African braids in 2021 due to her daughter North’s desire to fit in with her mother, although she is now trying to stop North from letting her wear braids
“But I also want her to feel like I can do a haircut with her and also not make such a big deal out of it if that’s something she really asks for and really wants.”
Kardashian pointed to her own cultural background, noting that “there’s also a history of hair braiding in Armenia, and people forget that I’m Armenian too.”
In the chat with the publication, Kardashian said she’s “definitely learned over time, and … tried to pass on that culture of learning to (her) children as well.”
Like Kim, Khloé shares two biracial children with her former partner, NBA player Tristan Thompson.