Muslim model exits L’Oreal campaign amidst Israel tweet furore
The Muslim model named on Friday as the first hijab-wearing woman to front a main stream hair care advert has resigned under a cloud following revelations about her Twitter past.
Muslim model curtails L’Oreal campaign amidst Israel tweet furore
Amena Khan was named as the new face of L’Oreal four days ago but her position quickly became untenable after tweets authored by the model and blogger from 2014 were uncovered having conveyed an ‘anti-Israel’ sentiment.
In an Instagram statement confirming her decision to quit, Khan wrote: “I recently took part in a campaign, which excited me because it celebrated inclusivity. With deep regret, I’ve decided to step down from this campaign because the current conversations surrounding it detract from the positive and inclusive sentiment that it set out to deliver.”
Welcoming Khan’s withdrawal, a spokesperson for L'Oreal Paris told the BBC’s Newsbeat: "We have recently been made aware of a series of tweets posted in 2014 by Amena Kahn, who was featured in a UK advertising campaign.
"We appreciate that Amena has since apologised for the content of these tweets and the offence they have caused.
"L'Oreal Paris is committed to tolerance and respect towards all people. We agree with her decision to step down from the campaign."
The tweets in question have since been deleted with Khan apologising for the ‘upset and hurt.’
This isn't the first time L'Oreal has come to grief courtesy of one of its own brand ambassadors after Helen Mirren notoriously denounced the skin care brands own moisturiser range, saying it 'probably does fuck all'.