Kim Kardashian Apologizes for Her Aaliyah Halloween Costume: 'We Don't See Color in My Home'
To say Kim Kardashian West went all out for Halloween weekend 2017 would be an understatement.
The reality superstar dressed up in not one, not two, but three separate costumes, each paying homage to some of music’s greatest female icons. Her looks included tributes to Cher, Madonna, and, most controversially, the late R&B singer Aaliyah.
Specifically, Kim wore Aaliyah’s exact outfit from her “Try Again” music video—including the singer’s famous sequin choker and statement grey eye makeup. And while yes, Kim’s outfit was certainly on point in terms of being an exact replica, many pointed out on social media that it was veering dangerously close to cultural appropriation.
“Legend or not Aaliyah is a Black woman and you’re not. It’s offensive and you shouldn’t push this limit, but OK,” one user, for example, tweeted at Kim.
Here’s a look at her costume, in case you missed it:
Today, Kim released a statement defending why she made the decision to dress as Aaliyah and apologizing to fans who may have been offended by her costume choice. As she wrote on her website, “When I was deciding what I wanted to be for Halloween this year, I had a lot of ideas that I narrowed down to musical icons and my second costume was Aaliyah. The look was inspired by what she wore in her ‘Try Again’ music video.” Kim added, “Aaliyah was such an amazing singer, and she will forever be a music legend. I saw online that some people thought my costume was in poor taste, and I am truly sorry if that offended anyone.”
Kim noted that when she was choosing her costumes she didn’t think of it as dressing as a race or culture “but rather as a woman whom I will always admire.” She added, “I play every kind of genre of music in my home, and I like for my kids to be exposed to many different artists.”
“For me, it’s always about love and respect,” she continued. “I loved that Kourtney was Michael Jackson for one of her costumes and that my son was Axl Rose,” she said. “We don’t see color in my home. We were paying homage to people and artists we love and respect—it’s that simple!”
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