Huda Beauty founder Huda Kattan's anti-Israel conspiracy theory video removed by TikTok
Kattan, the founder and face of the billion-dollar brand Huda Beauty, shared a video to her more than 11 million followers on TikTok, accusing Israel of orchestrating World War I, World War II, the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7.
World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945) both occurred before the State of Israel was established in 1948.
'All of the conspiracy theories coming out and a lot of evidence behind them — that Israel has been behind World War I, World War II, September 11, October 7 — they allowed all of this stuff to happen. Is this crazy?' Kattan said on camera in her since-removed TikTok post, which included other unfounded claims about Israel. 'Like, I had a feeling — I was like, 'Are they behind every world war?' Yes.'
A representative for TikTok confirmed Kattan's video was removed for violating community guidelines.
'In a global community, it is natural for people to have different opinions, but we seek to operate on a shared set of facts and reality,' TikTok's community guidelines state.
'We do not allow misinformation that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent.'
Kattan's agency did not respond to a request for comment. A manager listed on public databases as a representative for Kattan was contacted and said in an email that they no longer represent her.
Calls for Sephora to ban Huda Beauty products
Kattan's video has spurred calls across social media and among Jewish groups for retailers like Sephora to cut ties with her popular beauty brand, Huda Beauty, which was valued at $US1.2 billion ($A1.8 billion) in 2017 and brings in roughly $US200 million ($A308 million) in annual sales, according to Forbes.
A representative for Sephora has not responded to a request for comment.
This is not the first time the beauty influencer has faced calls for boycotts due to her public commentary after October 7. Kattan, whose company has over 57 million followers on Instagram, has been an outspoken critic of Israel and a staunch supporter of Palestinians in Gaza.
Within a week of Hamas attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, an Israeli Instagram user threatened to boycott her products, to which Kattan replied: 'I don't want blood money.'
In response to that comment, a Change.org petition was launched and received over 30,000 signatures, calling on Sephora to remove Huda Beauty products from its stores.
Kattan's most recent TikTok video drew swift backlash from Jewish groups.
'Huda Kattan built a brand around beauty — but these antisemitic conspiracy theories are nothing short of ugly hate,' CEO of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt said.
'Spreading vile myths about Jews to millions of followers isn't just reckless — it's dangerous.'
The American Jewish Committee posted Kattan's since-removed TikTok video on social media, writing, 'Huda Kattan, founder of Huda Beauty, is using her massive platform to spread vile antisemitic conspiracy theories — accusing Jews of harvesting the organs of Palestinians, causing 9/11, and running global paedophile rings. This isn't 'criticism of Israel'. It's centuries-old hate, repackaged and broadcast to millions.'
'Retailers have a choice,' managing director of the Jewish nonprofit JLens Ari Hoffnung said.
'They can continue to platform a brand whose founder promotes hate-fuelled conspiracy theories, or they can take a stand against antisemitism.'
Forbes included Kattan on their 2023 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women and on their list of Most Powerful Women in Business in 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
29 minutes ago
- Herald Sun
‘Destroyed my life': Vladimir Putin's ‘secret daughter' slams him in cryptic post
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leaders. Followed categories will be added to My News. Russian President Vladimir Putin's alleged secret daughter has spoken out against her father in a cryptic post, condemning the man who 'destroyed' her and 'took millions of lives'. Elizaveta Krivonogikh, a 22-year-old art school graduate living in Paris who is believed to be the leader's youngest daughter, shared the messages on her private Telegram, in line with her increasing openness on Instagram as she's started to share more images of herself, The New York Post reported. 'It's liberating to be able to show my face to the world again,' she wrote, according to German magazine Bild. 'It reminds me of who I am and who destroyed my life.' The Telegram chat, named 'Art of Luiza', references her work pseudonym Luiza Rozova. Ms Krivonogikh didn't explicitly name Putin in either post, but has also never shot down the popular theories surrounding her true parentage. The budding artist was born in 2003 after a suspected affair between Putin and her mother, Svetlana, the President's then-housekeeper. The bombshell was first revealed after a 2020 investigation by Russian media outlet Proekt, citing Ms Krivonogikh's 'phenomenal resemblance' to Putin. He isn't listed on her birth certificate, but 'Vladimirovna' was included, translating to 'daughter of Vladimir'. In 2021, slain journalist and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny exposed Ms Krivonogikh's Instagram, which showcased her life of luxury and her family's staggering wealth that many have attributed to their connection with the country's pesident. While Ms Krivonogikh originally celebrated life in the spotlight, she retreated after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2021 and her Instagram was suddenly shut down. She's since returned to the platform, but was more reserved in her posting at first, hiding her face in many photos. She's now seemingly changed her tune – and swapped sides on the devastating war after previously mourning her inability to 'make an extra lap around my beloved St Petersburg'. Ms Krivonogikh has since denounced her previous lifestyle of obscene wealth, speaking openly against her alleged father's actions in Ukraine. She also works in a Parisian art gallery that specialises in anti-war works. Ms Krivonogikh also adopted an extra pseudonym, Elizaveta Rudnova, inspired by Putin's late ally Oleg Rudnov – a cheeky stab at her elusive parentage. Still, critics of Putin haven't quite bought her reshaped image and insist that she shouldn't be working in a space where she could be interacting with Ukrainians, regardless of her stance. 'Am I really responsible for the activities of my family, who can't even hear me?' Ms Krivonogikh wrote. Putin is also rumoured to share two secret sons, a 10-year-old and a six-year-old, with his former gymnast lover and Olympic gold medallist Alina Kabaeva. This article originally appeared on The New York Post and was reproduced with permission Originally published as 'Destroyed my life': Vladimir Putin's 'secret daughter' slams him in cryptic post
9 News
3 hours ago
- 9 News
Australia regulator says YouTube, others 'turning a blind eye' to child abuse material
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Australia 's internet watchdog has said the world's biggest social media firms are still "turning a blind eye" to online child sex abuse material on their platforms, and said YouTube in particular had been unresponsive to its enquiries. In a report released on Wednesday, the eSafety Commissioner said YouTube , along with Apple , failed to track the number of user reports it received of child sex abuse appearing on their platforms and also could not say how long it took them to respond to such reports. The Australian government decided last week to include YouTube in its world-first social media ban for teenagers, following eSafety's advice to overturn its planned exemption for the Alphabet-owned Google's GOOGL.O video-sharing site. Australia's internet watchdog has said the world's biggest social media firms are still "turning a blind eye" to online child sex abuse material on their platforms, with YouTube in particular, unresponsive to its enquiries (SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett) "When left to their own devices, these companies aren't prioritising the protection of children and are seemingly turning a blind eye to crimes occurring on their services," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a statement. "No other consumer-facing industry would be given the licence to operate by enabling such heinous crimes against children on their premises, or services." Google has said previously that abuse material has no place on its platforms and that it uses a range of industry-standard techniques to identify and remove such material. Meta - owner of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, three of the biggest platforms with more than 3 billion users worldwide - says it prohibits graphic videos. Google has said before that its anti-abuse measures include hash-matching technology and artificial intelligence. (Smith Collection/Getty) The eSafety Commissioner, an office set up to protect internet users, has mandated Apple, Discord, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Skype, Snap and WhatsApp to report on the measures they take to address child exploitation and abuse material in Australia. The report on their responses so far found a "range of safety deficiencies on their services which increases the risk that child sexual exploitation and abuse material and activity appear on the services". Safety gaps included failures to detect and prevent livestreaming of the material or block links to known child abuse material, as well as inadequate reporting mechanisms. It said platforms were also not using "hash-matching" technology on all parts of their services to identify images of child sexual abuse by checking them against a database. The Australian regulator said some providers had not made improvements to address these safety gaps on their services despite it putting them on notice in previous years. (Getty) Google has said before that its anti-abuse measures include hash-matching technology and artificial intelligence. The Australian regulator said some providers had not made improvements to address these safety gaps on their services despite it putting them on notice in previous years. "In the case of Apple services and Google's YouTube, they didn't even answer our questions about how many user reports they received about child sexual abuse on their services or details of how many trust and safety personnel Apple and Google have on-staff," Inman Grant said. national Australia social media youtube CONTACT US Property News: Rubbish-strewn house overtaken by mould asks $1.2 million.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Lil Tay claims she made 1m in three hours on OnlyFans
Lil Tay claims she made $1 million within hours of setting up an OnlyFans account. Shortly after turning 18 on July 29, the internet personality launched her own account on the explicit subscription service platform and says the money started flowing in immediately. She posted a screenshot on Instagram of her earnings including $511,003.79 in subscriptions, $26,736.19 in tips and $486,558.11 in messages, adding up to over $1 million in total. She wrote: '$1M in 3 hours. We broke the f*** out of that onlyfans record . Come see content I took of myself at 12:01AM on my 18th BDAY. ONLY AVAILABLE FOR 24hrs.' She also wrote: '$1M IN 3 HOURS. LIL TAY RICH AND FINNA GET RICHER.' Announcing her account on the platform, Lil Tay previously posted a picture of herself wearing a 'pornstar in training' top and wrote: 'I DID IT. LINK IN BIO. ALL CONTENT SHOT @ 12:01AM ON MY 18th BIRTHDAY. Bday special only available for 24 hours. Come talk to me.' Lil Tay – whose real name is Claire Eileen Qi Hope - first found fame at just nine years old when her foulmouthed videos started going viral. She later pivoted to rapping and has worked with stars including Bhad Bhabie, Jake Paul and Diplo. The young star was embroiled in controversy in 2023 when someone posted a false statement on her Instagram account claimed she had died, along with her brother Jason Tian. The statement said: 'It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of our beloved Claire's sudden and tragic passing. We have no words to express the unbearable loss and indescribable pain. This outcome was entirely unexpected, and has left us all in shock. Her brother's passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief. 'During this time of immense sorrow, we kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this overwhelming loss. Claire will forever remain in our hearts, her absence leaving an irreplaceable void that will be felt by all who knew and loved her.' There was confusion as her management appeared to confirm the death to Us Weekly, saying: 'With profound regret, we confirm the accuracy of the statement.' However, just one day later, Tay revealed she was alive and said she was 'trying to sort out this mess'. She told TMZ: 'I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I'm completely heartbroken, and struggling to even find the right words to say. It's been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess.'
