Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Hailey Bieber. Shutterstock (3)
Stirring the pot. After Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin) showed support for Vogue fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Kanye West chose to address the comments by involving her husband, Justin Bieber.
“Wait Am I canceled again???,” West, 45, captioned a screenshot of an article detailing Hailey’s response via Instagram on Wednesday, October 5. “Justin [Bieber] please let me know.”
The rapper originally faced backlash after he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt during Paris Fashion Week earlier this week. Following the runway show for his Yeezy clothing line — which included models showing off the shirts as well — Karefa-Johnson took to social media to question the decision.
“It’s become clear that some viewers think my previous post containing my working, evolving thoughts on Kanye’s show was some sort of distorted justification for the incredibly irresponsible and dangerous act of sending ‘W*** Lives Matter’ T-shirts down a runway,” she wrote in a lengthy Instagram Story on Monday, October 3. “Please understand: it wasn’t.”
Karefa-Johnson continued: “The tshirts this man conceived, produced, and shared with the world are pure violence. There is no excuse, there is no art here. I’m sorry I failed to make that clear — I thought I did. I do think if you asked Kanye, he’d say there was art, and revolution, and all of the things in that t-shirt. There isn’t. As we work through the trauma of this moment, especially those of us who suffered in that room, let’s have some grace for one another.”
West, for his part, slammed the criticism by reposting photos of Karefa-Johnson and mocking her appearance. Celebrities including Gigi Hadid and Hailey, 25, came to the writer’s defense on social media.
“GKJ ALL DAY, EVERYDAY,” the Rhode founder, who exchanged vows with Justin, 28, in 2018, wrote alongside an Instagram photo of Karefa-Johnson on Tuesday, October 4. “My respect for you runs deep my friend! To know you is to adore you and to work with you is an honor. The most kind. The most talented. The most fun. The most chic.”
Amid the drama, Vogue issued a statement showing support for their employee.
“Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable,” the statement from the publication, which was shared on Instagram and Twitter on Monday, stated. “Now more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.”
The musician later confirmed that he apologized to the stylist in private, writing via Instagram, “Gab is my sister. I’m not letting people go to bed thinking I didn’t meet with Gabrielle at 5 p.m. today for 2 hours then went to dinner at Ferdie.”