Kylie Jenner’s latest ‘King Kylie’ campaign sparks backlash for using fake cops and jail imagery while the US faces heightened immigration tensions.
Kylie Jenner is facing fierce criticism after sharing a new Kylie Cosmetics teaser featuring fake police officers escorting her in handcuffs — a move many have branded “tone-deaf” and “out of touch.”
The 28-year-old billionaire posted the clip on Saturday to promote her upcoming King Kylie collection, a revival of the bold, rebellious aesthetic that first made her a beauty mogul nearly a decade ago.
The short video shows Jenner being led through a mock jail corridor by two men dressed as police officers, while she poses in black lingerie and sheer tights.
The imagery has landed badly online however, arriving as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and police crackdowns dominate headlines across the US.
“Citizens are being dragged off by rent-a-cops and Kylie Jenner drops a handcuffed hot-pants shoot to sell cosmetics,” one Reddit user wrote. “This isn’t satire; it’s American rot.”
Others drew comparisons to her sister Kendall Jenner’s infamous 2017 Pepsi advert, in which she appeared to defuse a protest by offering a can of soda to a police officer. “Is she really recreating Kendall’s tone-deaf Pepsi moment?” one fan asked.
Jenner’s King Kylie branding has also been criticised for clashing with the recent “No Kings” protest movement, which has gained traction in the US and abroad in opposition to authoritarianism.
“There are No Kings rallies going on across the world and you choose to post this?” one person posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Read the room!”
Another critic added: “Why are you using the carceral system as branding material? This white-supremacist imagery is gross.”
Meanwhile, one user joked darkly: “Next up — Kylie’s Prison Chic collection, complete with mugshot filters and orange jumpsuits.”
Despite the backlash, Jenner has continued to roll out nostalgic content from her original King Kylie era, reposting old YouTube promos and behind-the-scenes shots.
In a post on Sunday, she confirmed she had filmed a sequel to her viral 2016 Glosses campaign, directed by Colin Tilley.
“GLOSSES PART 2: KING KYLIE RETURNS!” she wrote. “It only felt right to launch my King Kylie collection with a part two to my video from ten years ago.”
The King Kylie collection officially launches on October 18.
