Kendall Jenner, much like her famous Kardashian relatives, has frequently found herself in the midst of controversy, with fans often condemning the model for what they perceive as her “mean girl” actions.
With her role as the founder of 818 Tequila and her constant presence among a glamorous circle of friends from the fashion world’s elite, Kendall Jenner effortlessly embodies the essence of coolness.
However, like many celebrities, her extravagant and dazzling lifestyle has not been without its fair share of controversy. Over the years, fans have accused her of embodying a “mean girl” persona.
In a past episode of The Kardashians, Jenner addressed these accusations, expressing her hurt over being labeled as a mean girl. She revealed, “I think the one misconception that I guess hurts the most is that people think I’m a mean girl. Because that’s just not the case. It can be upsetting when someone is questioning your character… If only people knew me.”
Despite her efforts to defend herself, online users have continued to criticize her for various instances that appeared questionable. Let’s explore a few recent examples below:
1. TikTok Controversy in April 2023
In April, the 27-year-old uploaded a TikTok video and found herself at the centre of a heated controversy. The clip in question featured the reality TV star and her friends, including Hailey Bieber. They proceed to lip sync to an audio recording described by Pinkvilla as “catty”.
The audio contains the following provocative dialogue: “Are you tired of stalking me? Tired of constantly watching my page from a fake account? Talking about me to all of your friends? And simply just being a f***ing weirdo? Then you need to call a psychiatric ward. Cause b*****, you’re obsessed.”
The response to this video was far from positive, with many expressing their disapproval of what they saw as the group’s “mean girl energy”.
Read more: Ranking the Kardashians’ Most Successful Businesses
2. “God’s Timing” Video in January 2023
In January, Jenner appeared in another TikTok video. Which has since been deleted, with pals Bieber and Justine Skye.
The girls are seen lip-synching to an audio that says, “And I’m not saying she deserved it, but I’m saying God’s timing is always right.”
Although the video didn’t name any names, fans speculated it could’ve been aimed at Selena Gomez. As Bieber’s video was posted around the same time Gomez was publicly body shamed in her bikini by paparazzi, per People. Although Gomez and Bieber seemingly dismissed the rumours. Jenner was again caught up in the “mean girl” accusations from the vid.
3. Met Gala Pose Controversy with Addison Rae in May 2022
When TikTokker Addison Rae attended the Met Gala last year, she made headlines for her unconventional poses on the red carpet.
Not long after the event, a TikTok video featuring Jenner went viral, with accusations that the model appeared to mock Rae’s outlandish arm movements.
Despite not explicitly claiming to mimic anyone, Jenner’s lack of explanation left many unimpressed.
Previous accusations of Jenner dismissing Rae, along with their reportedly uncomfortable interactions on The Kardashians show, continued to fuel the ongoing speculation.
4. Backstage Footage from Victoria’s Secret, 2022
This clip of @KendallJenner from the @hulu #VictoriasSecretDoc really says a lot about who she probably really is. #TheKardashians pic.twitter.com/0KezoDDh2B
— Kasandra (@Kasandraa_Rose) July 16, 2022
When a clip from Victoria’s Secret’s Hulu documentary released in 2022 showed Jenner being allegedly rude to staff backstage, fans went into a frenzy. In the viral footage, a woman hands Jenner a phone to take a selfie. After striking a pose, Jenner’s expression drops. And she hands the phone back to the woman without making eye contact.
However, others were quick to defend the model, suggesting that the demands of her job. And her celebrity status could have contributed to a momentary lapse in manners. “Being a top model 24/7, one of the most famous people of our time, and working much. One fan wrote, ‘Yeah, no wonder she’s tired and annoyed sometimes.’
5. Dress Controversy in April 2021
In April 2021, Jenner caused a stir when she celebrated the Easter holidays wearing the same floral dress Selena Gomez wore in her “De Una Vez” music video.
Jenner reposted a Twitter comment from a fan account that read. “Kendall Jenner pulling off this dress better than anyone else,” seemingly alluding to the comparisons with Gomez. Although it’s unclear whether she knew about the backlash, the 818 Tequila founder later deleted the tweet, states Buzzfeed.
According to Nicki Swift, they no longer follow each other on Instagram.
6. Comments about Kylie Jenner’s Fake Tan in 2017
A recently resurfaced video clip from a 2017 episode of E!’s Life of Kylie set the internet alight recently for Kendall’s apparently belittling comments towards little sis Kylie.
Fans called her out for having an apparent mean streak. In the video, a giggling Kendall says to Kylie, “The bronzer’s really thick, but you have really big body pores. Does that make sense? Your back pores, I love getting in there after spray tans.” After a moment of silence, Kendall goes, “Don’t be sensitive.”
This drew wider criticism as netizens took to the comments section to share their opinions, again referring to Kendall’s seeming “mean girl” attitude.
7. Pool Party Accusations in August 2016
In 2016, Scottish singer-model Tallia Storm made headlines after accusing Jenner of attempting to boot her from a pool party.
Storm took to Twitter, writing, “It’s a sad day when u up stage @KendallJenner [and] she [tries] to get you thrown out the VIP area @NextRadioApp pool party! lol #SheTried #AndFailed.”
While some fans were unsettled by the alleged diva behavior, others speculated that Storm might have strategically employed Jenner’s name to generate buzz for herself.
Source: South China Morning Post
