Earlier this week, Kuwaiti beauty blogger Sondos Alqattan came under fire for comments made on her Instagram Stories in regards to new laws surrounding the rights of Filipino workers in the Middle Eastern country. After facing backlash, both regional and global, Alqattan issued a statement on her personal Instagram account that reaffirmed her earlier comments.
In the wake of the controversy, many of the brands who have worked with the blogger have either terminated their relationship or actively distanced themselves from her comments. Max Factor was the first brand to completely cut ties on Tuesday, telling Gulf News, “Max Factor Arabia was shocked by the comments made…regarding the new labour law in Kuwait. Max Factor Arabia is taking this incident very seriously and have immediately suspended all collaborations with Sondos.” French perfume brand M. Micallef and Chelsea Beautique also severed ties with the influencer on that day.
Today, MAC Cosmetics has followed suit. In a statement made to Gulf News, the international beauty brand said, “We currently do not have any partnerships with her and will no longer be working with her on any brand activities.” It added that MAC aims to “align [itself] with partners that share our core values and in no way tolerate excluding anyone.”
Similarly, French haircare brand Phyto, with whom Sondos has done regular work, posted a statement to Instagram today saying, “We do not tolerate any kind of racism and abuse. We take our brand’s values very seriously and will not support such behaviour or have it associated with our products.”
There are calls for other brands who have worked with the influencer to cut ties, but many are yet to make public statements in regards to the issue.
Now, see how Gucci is celebrating inclusivity in its newest handbag campaign with Faye Dunaway.
