Meghan Markle sparks outrage for attending Balenciaga show despite scandal

Meghan Markle’s Paris Fashion Week debut isn’t sitting well with fans.

The Duchess of Sussex attended two of Balenciaga’s shows at PFW over the weekend, turning heads with a white cape tunic on day one and an elegant black dress on day two. She even took to Instagram later to thank Balenciaga for the invite.

A spokesperson for Markle, 44, said she attended to support her friend Pierpaolo Piccioli, who became Creative Director for Balenciaga in July.

But critics quickly accused the mom-of-two of hypocrisy for supporting a brand previously slammed for using children in a disturbing ad campaign.

“The ‘duchess’ of hypocrisy: a lady who claims to defend the interests of children, going to a fashion show that ran a disgusting campaign with children,” one user wrote on Instagram, per Page Six.

Another added, “Why on earth would she go to a Balenciaga show? How could any mother support that brand?”

The luxury label has faced intense criticism since 2022 after releasing ads featuring children holding teddy bears in bondage-style outfits. 

Though Balenciaga apologised and later dropped a $25 million lawsuit against the campaign’s producers, fans are not ready to forgive and forget.

Even Kim Kardashian has drawn massive criticism over her continued association with Balenciaga, becoming brand ambassador in 2024, despite criticising the controversial campaign earlier.