Emily Ratajkowski announced that she is the new ambassador for the hair care brand Kérastase on Tuesday, but it was her controversial social media post about her new role that seemed to get the most attention online.
Some fans are looking for an apology after the model and actress wrote on Instagram and Twitter, “Hair is a fundamental part of beauty, femininity, and identity. So excited to announce that I am the new face of @kerastase_official! Welcome good hair days!”
The first sentence of that caption has since been removed on her Instagram post, and the tweet has been deleted altogether.
But before the update, outraged fans and followers on social media were quick to call out Ratajkowski and Kérastase for suggesting that having hair is essential to being a woman.
Many pointed out that the caption could be hurtful to people undergoing treatment for cancer, or to people who suffer from hair loss or thinning hair.
Some were angry that Ratajkowski changed her caption after the backlash, but didn’t issue an apology. Ratajkowski did not immediately return a request for comment from HuffPost.
A spokesperson for Kérastase apologized in a statement to HuffPost on Wednesday. It was unclear what role, if any, the company played in writing the caption.
“We are deeply sorry if we offended anyone, it was absolutely not our intention,” the statement read. “We recognize that the way the content was presented did not pay tribute to our most valued message ― that everyone is uniquely beautiful. Kérastase is committed to empowering all women and all visions of beauty.”
Kérastase also posted another apology in a comment on its Instagram account:
Of course beauty is not defined by your hair, beauty is something more spiritual, beauty is an attitude coming from inside each of us. Our new muse, Emily, thinks that her hair is a way to express herself. As she said, “Everyone is uniquely beautiful in their own way” and we agree. We apologize for the misunderstanding of our previous caption because it seems like we were making a one-way statement, forgetting the rest of the multiple variations of beauty. We honestly tell you we’re very sorry and thanks for your testimony because through it we are learning everyday.
On Twitter, the brand promised “we will do better in the future.”
