Calvin Klein apologies for ‘queerbaiting’ campaign featuring Bella Hadid kissing a robot

"We sincerely regret any offence we caused."

Calvin Klein has apologised for a new campaign that features Bella Hadid kissing a female digital character. The latest My Calvins campaign depicts the model sharing a kiss with Lil Miquela, a fictional female character who is often referred to as a robot. The campaign received much criticism from the LGBT+ community, with many arguing that the company was of guilty queerbaiting - lightly suggesting homosexual relationships without actively depicting them in order to appeal to gay fans. The brand said that they recognised that the campaign could have been read this way and have apologised for any offence caused. They said:

"We understand and acknowledge how featuring someone who identifies as heterosexual in a same-sex kiss could be perceived as queerbaiting. "As a company with a longstanding tradition of advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, it was certainly not our intention to misrepresent the LGBTQ+ community. We sincerely regret any offence we caused."

https://twitter.com/CalvinKlein/status/1129521041309614085 They brand also went on to explain why they decided to use a robot for the campaign. "The concept for our latest #MYCALVINS campaign is to promote of expression for a wide range of identities, including a spectrum of gender and sexual identities," they said. "This specific campaign was created to challenge conventional norms and stereotypes in advertising. In this particular video, we explored the blurred lines between reality and imagination." Hadid has yet to respond to the criticism.