Kim Kardashian, 41, has apologized for her business advice to women that went viral for all the wrong reasons. In an interview with Variety published March 9, the SKIMS founder implored women to “get your f**king a** up and work,” which caused widespread criticism. The billionaire brunette was accused of being tone-deaf due to her obvious privilege that’s aided in her success.
So, in a new interview with Good Morning America, Kim directly addressed the backlash she received. She told Robin Roberts that her comments were “taken out of context.” Still, Kim offered a sincere apology while elaborating on what she meant in her work advice to women.
EXCLUSIVE: Kim Kardashian responds to backlash over women in business comments: “It wasn't a blanket statement towards women … it was taken out of context, but I’m really sorry if it was received that way.”@robinrobertshttps://t.co/kWY5S6eOU4 pic.twitter.com/C15OoEIJz2
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 28, 2022
“Well that statement that I said was without questions and conversation around it and it became a soundbite really with no context.,” the mother of four explained. “That soundbite came off of the notion and the question right before, which was, ‘After 20 years of being in the business, you’re famous for being famous,’ and my whole tone and attitude changed with the previous question that went into that question about what advice would you give to women.”
Kim went on to say that “having a social media presence and being on a reality show does not mean overnight success.” She continued, “You have to really work hard to get there, even if it might seem like it’s easy and that you can build a really successful business on social media. And you can if you put in the hard work. It wasn’t a blanket statement towards women or to fell like I don’t respect the work or think that they don’t work hard. I know that they do. It was taken out of context and I’m really sorry if it was received that way.”
In the Variety interview, Kim and her family members were promoting their new Hulu show The Kardashians. Kim offered her “best advice” for working women: “Get your f***ing a** up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these day.” Her remarks went viral instantly, and in response, critics pointed out Kim’s successful parents and connections that undoubtedly helped her early in her career.
Meghan McCain was someone that called out Kim for what she said. While admitting her own privilege, Meghan pointed out that Kim’s comments were especially “tone-deaf” in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic, lockdowns and everything that went along with them directly impacted women in the workplace,” Meghan said.