Sephora Pulls ‘Celebutard’ Lipstick Amid Uproar
Sephora is pulling a shade of lipstick called “Celebutard” from its shelves after complaints that the name is offensive to those with disabilities.
The shade is part of a line of makeup Sephora produces with tattoo artist Kat Von D who’s known for appearing on TLC’s “LA Ink.”
Other colors in the Painted Love Lipstick lineup include “A-Go-Go,” “Cathedral,” “Prayer” and “Underage Red.” But calling the nude-peach-beige shade “Celebutard” hit a nerve with many affected by developmental disabilities.
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More than 1,100 people signed an online petition calling on the company to withdraw the product and the name of the lipstick shade prompted an outcry on social media.
“Celebutard” really???? Do the right thing here please . signed- mother of a child with an intellectual disability,” read one of many complaints posted on Sephora’s Facebook page.
“Really @sephora celebutard? Not cool,” tweeted “Glee” star Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome.
Now, Sephora says it will pull the color from its line.
“It has come to our attention that the name of one shade of a lipstick we carry has caused offense to some of our clients and others. We are deeply sorry for that, and we have ceased sale of that shade both in our stores and online,” the company said in a statement to Disability Scoop.
Kat Von D appeared to make light of the uproar, however, reportedly tweeting “At the end of the day, it’s just a f— lipstick,” before deleting the comment.
In recent years, everyone from advocates to government agencies have adopted the term “intellectual disability” in favor of “mental retardation.” And many disability advocates have campaigned against the use of the word “retarded” arguing that it’s offensive to those with disabilities.
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