Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Kendall Jenner

Public opinion and media debates around Kendall Jenner—discover key moments of controversy.

Kendall Jenner is an American model, socialite, and media personality prominent for her role in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which aired for 20 seasons between 2007 and 2021. Following the show's conclusion, Jenner and her family transitioned to a new reality series, The Kardashians, on Hulu in 2022. The success of the show led to multiple spin-off series including Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami (2009), Kourtney and Kim Take New York (2011), Khloé & Lamar (2011), Rob & Chyna (2016) and Life of Kylie (2017).

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Full Timeline Controversies & Scandals

February 10, 2016: $10 Million Lawsuit Against Cutera

On February 10, 2016, lawyers representing Jenner Inc. filed a $10 million lawsuit against esthetic medical company Cutera for using her brand without authorization in ad campaigns for its Laser Genesis acne treatment.

May 2016: Dropped Charges Against Cutera

In May 2016, Kendall Jenner's attorneys dropped the charges against Cutera.

April 2017: Pepsi Commercial Controversy

In April 2017, Pepsi cast Kendall Jenner as the star for a commercial advertisement that was criticized for trivializing protests against police brutality. Pepsi pulled the ad within a day, and apologized to Jenner.

June 2017: Launch of "vintage" T-shirt line

In June 2017, Kendall and Kylie launched a line of "vintage" T-shirts for their lifestyle brand, Kendall + Kylie, which faced criticism and copyright infringement lawsuits.

June 28, 2017: Release of Rock vs. Rap Vintage T-shirt Line

On June 28, 2017, the Jenner sisters announced that they would be releasing a line of vintage T-shirts for their Kendall + Kylie line of clothing called Rock vs. Rap, featuring the likenesses of various rock and rap artists. The announcement was met with swift backlash, and the Jenners apologized and pulled the shirts from retail.

2017: Involvement in Fyre Festival Promotion

In 2017, Kendall Jenner was paid $275,000 for an Instagram post announcing that some members of the G.O.O.D. Music record label would be performing at Fyre Festival, and that her followers could buy tickets using a discount code she provided. The post was not tagged as an #ad despite Jenner's compensation.

2017: La Perla Campaign Controversy

In 2017, Kendall Jenner's campaign for La Perla caused controversy when she had to cancel a previously scheduled appearance as a Victoria's Secret model due to her new affiliation with La Perla.

June 2020: Addressing reports of unpaid factory workers

In June 2020, the Jenners sisters addressed reports that their fashion brand Kendall + Kylie has failed to pay factory workers in Bangladesh as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

November 2020: Criticism for Birthday Party During COVID-19 Pandemic

In November 2020, Kendall Jenner faced large public criticism after having a birthday party with a hundred plus attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite Los Angeles County having a stay-at-home order in effect.

May 2021: Criticism for Cultural Appropriation in 818 Tequila Campaign

In May 2021, Kendall Jenner was criticised for culturally appropriating Mexican culture after sharing the campaign shoot for her tequila company, 818 Tequila, on Instagram.