Hailey Bieber has spoken out in Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson's favor after Kanye West slammed her for her opinions on his controversial new line. The 25-year-old model took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday night to share her thoughts.
"My respect for you runs deep my friend!" Bieber wrote over a photo of Karefa-Johnson. "To know is to adore you and to work with you is an honor."
"The most kind. the most talented. the most fun. the most chic," she added.
Bieber's post came shortly after Karefa-Johnson called out West for wearing a "White Lives Matter" shirt at his Yeezy fashion show in Paris, saying, "the t-shirts this man conceived, produced, and shared with the world are pure violence," adding, "there is no excuse, there is no art here."
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the phrase on West's shirt is considered a "hate slogan," made by White supremacists who co-opted the "Black Lives Matter" movement -- which has been used by Black people protesting police brutality -- and reframed it.
West responded by criticizing Karefa-Johnson's own style in a since deleted post. In a second post showing a text from someone to West urging him to not "insult that writer," Gigi Hadid slammed West for his bullying ways, commenting, "You wish u had a percentage of her intellect. You have no idea haha…. If there’s actually a point to any of your s**t she might be the only person that could save u. As if the 'honor' of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You’re a bully and a joke."
Hours later, West shared yet another post, this time saying he and Karefa-Johnson had met to discuss the situation, adding that famed filmmaker Baz Luhrmann recorded their conversation per the request of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
"GABBY IS MY SISTER," West wrote. "IM NOT LETTING PEOPLE GO TO BED THINKING I DIDN’T MEET WITH GABRIELLE AT 5 PM TODAY FOR 2 HOURS THEN WE WENT TO DINNER AT FERDIE."
"IT FELT LIKE SHE WAS BEING USED LIKE TREVOR NOAH AND OTHER BLACK PEOPLE TO SPEAK ON MY EXPRESSION. SHE EXPRESSED THAT HER COMPANY DID NOT INSTRUCT HER TO SPEAK ON MY T SHIRT EXPRESSION," West added of Karefa-Johnson's comments regarding his controversial shirt. "WE APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER FOR THE WAY WE MADE EACH OTHER FEEL WE ACTUALLY GOT ALONG AND HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED THE FIGHT FOR ACCEPTANCE IN A WORLD THAT’S NOT OUR OWN. SHE DISAGREED I DISAGREED WE DISAGREED."
While Karefa-Johnson did not confirm or deny their meeting, she did take to Instagram on Tuesday to thank people for their outpouring of support after West bashed her.
"Today literally said 'Hiiiii-yah' *roundhouse kick to the face, very Mortal Kombat," she wrote on her Stories. "Your girl has been through it! I'm exhausted, but I am so moved by and grateful for the outpouring of love I've received (here and elsewhere) over the last 24 hours. I feel so blessed to belong to a community that would show up for me like this."
"One thing about me: I will always speak my mind, and always try to honor my truth," she added. "My thoughts are my own, and I stand by them. Thank you all for supporting me in that."
Vogue also released a statement amid the controversy, writing, "Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable. Now more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms."
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