Kendall Jenner is setting the record straight about a viral photo that appears to show her at a Black Lives Matter protest.
After an image of the 24-year-old supermodel wearing a face mask and holding a sign reading "Black Lives Matter" began circulating last week on the internet, some social media users noticed the photo appeared to have been altered. "What’s missing from @KendallJenner’s shadow?" one tweeted, noting that Jenner's shadow didn't reflect the sign she appeared to be holding.
Others wondered if the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star altered the image herself.
"I know being famous is so difficult and you have to show your support but instead of taking the time to photoshop pictures, you could’ve just sign a petition or a video of you just talking about this horrific cause and what organization is there to support. @KendallJenner," tweeted one critic.
Jenner cleared the air on Twitter over the weekend by retweeting the photo and writing, "this is photoshopped by someone. i DID NOT post this." One fan backed up Jenner's claim by tweeting the original pic, which shows Jenner without a face mask or a sign.
But the brouhaha didn't stop there. Jenner's response reignited criticism of her controversial 2017 Pepsi commercial that showed her turning a heated street protest into a celebration by handing a police officer a soda. (Pepsi quickly pulled the ad after critics called it "tone deaf.")
"can you give the cops a Pepsi already" someone tweeted at the star.
Though the image of her at a Black Lives Matter protest is fake, Jenner's support for the movement's activism is real.
Last week, she shared a heartfelt Instagram post expressing her desire to "educate" herself about issues that impact the black community.
"I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past few days and my heart has been so heavy. I’m angry and hurt just like so many. I will never personally understand the fear and pain that the black community go through on a daily basis, but i know that nobody should have to live in constant fear," Jenner wrote next to a gallery of photos depicting civil rights activists, George Floyd and other powerful images.
She went on to say she acknowledges her "white privilege" and made a promise to "continue to educate myself on how I can help."
"raging on platforms can not be all that we do in order to repair the system, we need to take real action, off of social media," she continued. "this is a time to have those uncomfortable conversations with people and mainly with ourselves. we must also make sure we are ready to vote when the time comes to elect the right people into office."
She concluded her post by writing, "the one truth that will always ring loudest is that BLACK LIVES MATTER. ❤️ rest peacefully George Floyd and all victims of this horrible injustice."