Rams star Cooper Kupp rips Balenciaga over children's 'BDSM' ad campaign

Rams star Cooper Kupp rips luxury fashion brand Balenciaga over outrageous ad campaign showing a child holding a teddy bear dressed in a BDSM outfit: ‘Make yourself aware of the attack against our young ones’

Injured Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is attacking luxury fashion brand Balenciaga over a recent photo shoot with a child holding a teddy bear dressed in a BDSM outfit.

The Super Bowl LVI MVP released a statement on social media Saturday: ‘To try to be a voice for our children, who rely on the protection of the men and women that were entrusted the responsibility of nurturing them and raising them up: please make yourself aware of the attack against our young ones by @balenciaga, and ensure that they are held responsible for it.

‘For those of us in positions to create change in the way that companies manipulate people and advertise evil, please stand up!’

Injured Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is attacking luxury fashion brand Balenciaga over a recent photo shoot with a child holding a teddy bear dressed in a BDSM outfit

Injured Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is attacking luxury fashion brand Balenciaga over a recent photo shoot with a child holding a teddy bear dressed in a BDSM outfit

Fashion brand Balenciaga is apologizing for what many believe is a photoshoot that amounts to child pornography, with a child holding a teddy bear dressed in a BDSM outfit

Fashion brand Balenciaga is apologizing for what many believe is a photoshoot that amounts to child pornography, with a child holding a teddy bear dressed in a BDSM outfit 

A young girl is pictured holding a teddy bear in bondage style gear was taken down from the gift shop section of the Balenciaga website

A young girl is pictured holding a teddy bear in bondage style gear was taken down from the gift shop section of the Balenciaga website 

The Super Bowl LVI MVP released a statement on social media Saturday

The Super Bowl LVI MVP released a statement on social media Saturday

Balenciaga, a globally-renowned Spanish fashion house which dresses the likes of Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman, apologized for the adult-themed children’s photo shoot. The company has also filed  a $25million lawsuit against the producers who came up with the ad campaign.

Perhaps even more bizarrely, a Twitter user discovered that one of the photos in a separate shoot contained an excerpt from the 2008 US Supreme Court opinion in United States v. Williams, which upheld part of a federal child pornography law.

The ruling determined that offering or requesting to transfer, sell, deliver, or trade child pornography did not violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, even if a person charged under the code did not in fact possess child pornography with which to trade. The late Justice Antonin Scalia noted specifically that offers to engage in illegal transactions are categorically excluded from First Amendment protection.

Balenciaga released a statement Tuesday apologizing for both photoshoots and seemingly suggesting they would take legal action against anyone else involved.

The statement reads: ‘We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.

‘We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being.’

The Italian photographer Galimberti promoted the images as part of a project series he called 'Toy Stories,' in an apparent reference to the Disney/Pixar film series

The Italian photographer Galimberti promoted the images as part of a project series he called ‘Toy Stories,’ in an apparent reference to the Disney/Pixar film series

They later clarified in a statement to DailyMail.com that neither photographers Gabriele Galimberti nor photographer Chris Maggio would be part of any legal action. A spokesperson said they would be suing the creatives who were hired for the Spring 23 collection photos.

Balenciaga told DailyMail.com: ‘Balenciaga is not taking any legal action towards Gabriele Galimberti, the photographer of the Holiday campaign, that includes a child holding a teddy bear bag.

‘Gabriele Galimberti was not involved in any way with the Spring 23 campaign involving unsettling documents in an office.’

Galimberti has since claimed that the images were part of a series called ‘Toy Stories,’ he wrote on his Instagram page.

Kupp, 29, is a former third-round pick who has developed into one of the NFL’s premiere receivers. He was named MVP of February’s Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but was placed in injured reserve on November 15 due to an ankle issue. 

Balenciaga, a globally-renowned Spanish fashion house which dresses the likes of Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman, apologized for the adult-themed children's photo shoot . The company has also filed a $25million lawsuit against the producers who came up with the ad campaign

Balenciaga, a globally-renowned Spanish fashion house which dresses the likes of Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman, apologized for the adult-themed children’s photo shoot . The company has also filed a $25million lawsuit against the producers who came up with the ad campaign

source: dailymail.co.uk