(Image Source: FashionGrail.com/QVC)
BY LAUREN ZIMA
Another day, another Kardashians story - and another incident of he said/she said. Reports are running rampant this week that the Kardashians’ clothing line is made in sweat shops. The story was first reported by Star Magazine -- here it is, with some added snark, from HollyScoop.
“The Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights tells Star Magazine, quote, ‘The Kardashians are in bed with some pretty bad people. Not only are celebrities like the Kardashians taking advantage of these workers, they are holding hands with a government that spits on democracy and women’s rights. Most of the workers spend seven days a week working in a factory to produce a product filled with a stench of sewage.’ Now we know how the family made their reported $65 million last year.”
The report concerns areas of China, and according to the article -- workers at some factories worked 12 hour days, six days a week for less than $2 an hour, and some were as young as 16. The clothing lines included are K-Dash and the Kris Jenner Collection, not the Kardashians’ line for Sears. The investigation was conducted from July to August of this year.
But, TMZ spoke with the watch group’s executive director -- and he says he did an interview with Star Magazine, but the mag jumped the gun on which factories did what.
CHARLES KERNAGHAN: “We were just in the process of trying to track the factories down.”
HARVEY LEVIN: “Are you prepared to say they are losing slave labor? Because that’s the issue.”
“I can’t say that because we haven’t finished our research, but what I’m saying is -- with every single research campaign we’ve done in China, you always come up with nasty sweatshop conditions.”
The story has spurred a back-and-forth between the Kardashians and Star. E! -- on which the family’s reality shows air -- spoke with the family’s rep:
“The family was tipped off [on] the explosive allegations after the dubious tandem of Star magazine … ‘The story is not true,’ the Kardashians' rep … tells E! News.”
But Star then also spoke with the group director in response to the Kardashians’ denial -- and used his responses to fire back at both the Kardashians and TMZ.
Star said the director told them the Kardashians’ denial is, quote, “ridiculous.”
“Kernaghan also lashed out at TMZ’s claims that Star’s story had misquoted him or was not correct. ‘We don’t know what they are talking about,’ Kernaghan said. ‘I don’t disagree with a single thing (Star) said so I don’t know what they are saying.’”
So who’s telling the truth? At this point in the back-and-forth of blunders and alleged bad reporting, it seems impossible to tell, but a writer for Ology asks -- ultimately -- does anyone care? These are the Kardashians, after all.
“Sounds to us like there’s something seriously fishy going on. Could there be truth in the Star’s report? Does the drama ever end for this endless spotlight-sucking troupe of reality television nobodys? Is anybody still reading?!”
But a panelist on Fox News feels the opposite about the family’s star power, and says -- Kim is embodying American ideals of success.
“She is not a mockery of what makes this country great. She epitomizes it. It’s all about the definition of luck -- opportunity meeting preparation. She’s what makes this country great.”
“What about her looks? You forgot about that.”
In response to the allegations, a website called boycottkim.com has popped up -- an online petition on it already has several hundred thousand signatures.
