First Hijab-Wearing L'Oréal Paris Hair Model Backs Out of Campaign After Twitter Backlash

Colleen Kratofil
Updated

Just days after British beauty blogger Amena Khan made headlines for being the first hijab-wearing woman featured in a hair campaign by landing a deal with L’Oréal Paris, Khan is backing out of the campaign.

The blogger announced on Instagram that she would no longer be a part of the historic ads because of the controversy surrounding tweets she wrote in 2014. According to BBC.com, her tweets are said to have expressed “anti-Israel” views.

“I deeply regret the content of the tweets I made in 2014, and sincerely apologise for the upset and hurt that they have caused,” she wrote. “Championing diversity is one of my passions, I don’t discriminate against anyone. I have chosen to delete them as they do not represent the message of harmony that I stand for.”

She explained that because the tweets are “detracting from the positive and inclusive sentiment” that the ad sought to deliver, she is stepping down from the campaign.

The since-deleted tweets have resurfaced in screen shots on Twitter.

A spokesperson for L’Oréal Paris gave a statement to BBC’s Newsbeat: “L’Oreal Paris is committed to tolerance and respect towards all people,” the spokesperson said. “We agree with her decision to step down from the campaign.”

A game changing new campaign!!! ?????????? So... lately I’ve had a complex relationship with my hair feeling lacklustre. When I take off my scarf, I want my hair to be more radiant - don’t we all? ???????????? I’m so excited and incredibly proud to announce that I‘m part of the new L’Oreal Paris Elvive World of Care Campaign which showcases Elvive’s breadth of products catering to a wide range of demanding hair types. I’m The Pink One which has been specially formulated for dull hair to boost shine. @lorealhair #WORLDOFCARE #ELVIVEXRANKIN #ALLWORTHIT #AD

A post shared by Amena (@amenaofficial) on Jan 14, 2018 at 3:04am PST

Last week the news was announced that she would be the first-ever hijab-wearing woman to front a hair campaign. She starred in L’Oréal Paris Elvive World of Care Campaign, which focuses on tackling an array of different hair issues. Her campaign was for The Pink One, which aims to boost and shine dull hair.

She wrote on Instagram at the time that she was “so excited and incredibly proud” of her new gig. She told Newsbeat that she hoped ads featuring a model who’s hair is covered would send a positive message. “You’re doing it for yourself and you don’t have to show it off to the rest of the world to validate that you care about yourself,” she said.