Rosie O'Donnell—Balenciaga 'Will Pay For' Its 'Bad' Decisions Amid Scandal

Rosie O'Donnell has stated that Balenciaga "will pay for" its "bad" photo shoot decisions, amid ongoing backlash against the beleaguered fashion brand over controversial campaign images.

The luxury label has been under fire in recent weeks following backlash over two separate ad campaigns. One ad for their holiday campaign featured children holding teddy bear in leather bondage gear handbags, while the other office-inspired ad included a reference to a Supreme Court case on child pornography.

Following days of criticism, Balenciaga brand ambassador Kim Kardashian said in a statement shared on Twitter in November that she was "disgusted" and "shaken" by the images and that she was "re-evaluating" her relationship with Balenciaga.

With a growing number of public figures criticizing the brand, O'Donnell was recently asked by one of her TikTok followers for her take on the Balenciaga backlash.

"You know, I'm against children in photographs with teddy bears in S&M gear. There you go," O'Donnell responded in a video post. "Just like all those years ago, I was against Calvin Klein when he put those kids in what looked like some weird kind of pedophile situation in his advertising."

Back in 1999, Calvin Klein sparked furor when it unveiled an ad campaign that featured youngsters jumping up and down on a couch as they sported the brand's designer underwear.

At the time, O'Donnell joined in the chorus of complaints when she said of designer Klein on her eponymous talk show: "I'm never wearing his underwear again."

Calvin Klein withdrew the ads, explaining in a statement that the intention of the campaign was to capture the warmth and spontaneity of a family photo. The brand also said that it had not fully considered the issues raised by critics, per People.

Continuing in her TikTok video over the weekend, O'Donnell returned her focus to Balenciaga as she said: "You know, they'll pay for it," before adding that she has little to no knowledge of, or interest in, the brand.

"I don't know one person who uses or buys or wears or whatever you do with Balenciaga products," she said. "I'm not a Balenciaga person. If you put five things in front of me and said, 'Pick out the Balenciaga,' I would not be able to do it.

"So what is my feeling is that we should protect children at all costs, and that was a bad idea. That's what I think. But I just don't really have any understanding of even what it is. It's a brand of high-end, like Kim Kardashian-level stuff. And I'm not in that world at all. No interest."

In its first statement of apology, shared via Instagram Stories on November 22, the brand said: "Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign."

While referring to the second ad, shot for its Spring 2023 collection, Balenciaga added: "We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form."

In a separate statement posted to Instagram on November 28, the company said the "campaigns in question reflect a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility."

It also admitted that the decision to include children with toys dressed in "BDSM-inspired outfits" was "wrong" and said the "responsibility for this lies with Balenciaga alone."

As for the legal document featured in the Spring 2023 campaign, the Spanish company confirmed it was from the United States vs. Williams case. The 2008 Supreme Court ruling prohibited the pandering of child pornography.

"All the items included in this shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents," Balenciaga wrote. "They turned out to be [real] papers most likely coming from the filming of a television drama. The inclusion of these unapproved documents was the result of reckless negligence for which Balenciaga has filed a complaint."

The brand added: "We take full accountability for our lack of oversight and control of the documents in the background and we could have done things differently."

Country singer Jason Aldean's wife, Brittany Aldean, was among those who tossed out their Balenciaga items. On November 30, she posted a photo of herself holding two clear trash bags with various branded products, including shoes and several purses.

"It's trash day @balenciaga," Aldean captioned the image.

Former Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. and his wife Lauren Burnham Luyendyk shared a video via Instagram of them setting fire to their Balenciaga sneakers.

"Won't miss ya," they said.