Beauty mogul Huda Kattan, founder of the billion-dollar brand Huda Beauty, is facing backlash after posting a controversial video on TikTok. The video, which has since been removed by TikTok, contained unfounded conspiracy theories accusing Israel of orchestrating events like World War I, World War II, the September 11th attacks, and the October 7th Hamas attack.
Kattan's claims, made to her millions of followers, sparked outrage online. She stated in the video, "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? Like, I had a feeling — I was like, ‘Are they behind every world war?’ Yes." The historical inaccuracy of these claims, particularly regarding the World Wars predating the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, further fueled the controversy.
TikTok's Response and Community Guidelines
TikTok confirmed the removal of Kattan's video, citing violations of its community guidelines. These guidelines prohibit misinformation that could cause significant harm. A TikTok representative stated, "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. We do not allow misinformation that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent.”
Calls for Sephora to Drop Huda Beauty
The incident has led to calls for retailers like Sephora to sever ties with Huda Beauty. Activist groups and social media users are urging Sephora to take a stand against antisemitism and disinformation by removing Huda Beauty products from their stores and online platforms.
StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez said Sephora would stand against its own values by continuing to offer Huda Beauty products. "If Sephora is serious about creating a safe and inclusive space for all communities, it must drop Huda Beauty immediately," the letter states.
As of now, neither Huda Kattan nor Huda Beauty have released an official statement addressing the controversy or the removal of the video.