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Joan Smalls criticizes IMG Models for alleged racist remark

Joan Smalls criticizes IMG Models for alleged racist remark

Matte Jr05 mins

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Joan Smalls is speaking out against “hate and discrimination” in the fashion industry.

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican model, in an Instagram post on Thursday, said she is “deeply disturbed and offended” by a racist comment that was allegedly made against her by a senior manager at IMG Models.

Smalls said the comment was “unacceptable and has no place in professional interactions.” She called for a “thorough investigation” of the incident and “appropriate disciplinary action.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Smalls and IMG Models for comment.

Smalls told followers this wasn’t the first time a racist comment had been directed at her. She wrote that she is still haunted by an incident early in her career where an agent allegedly called her a racial slur and said, “Karl Lagerfeld would never hire an (expletive) for his campaign.”

“I can no longer tolerate being silent about hate and discrimination within an industry that claims to be inclusive and open-minded and instead only discussing it privately with friends and family,” she wrote. “I refuse to be a victim of hate speech and allow such harmful behaviors to continue to persist so audaciously in private.

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“Racism and discrimination have no justification and I will not tolerate such abusive language directed at my ethnicity and intelligence.”

The model, who made history in 2011 by becoming the first Latin face of Estée Lauder’s global marketing campaign, had previously spoken out against the lack of diversity in the fashion industry when she appeared on the cover of Elle in 2013.

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“People hide behind the word aesthetic,” she told the magazine. “They say, ‘Well, it’s just that designer’s aesthetic.’ But when you see 18 seasons in a row and not a single model outside of a certain skin color… There are people in the industry who are advocates, who support diversity And there are people who don’t understand. that. Beauty is universal. These doors have to open.”

In June 2020, Smalls pledged half of his remaining salary for the year to support Black Lives Matter and criticized the industry for its response to that summer’s racial justice protests.

“This industry that profits from our black and brown bodies, our culture of constant inspiration, our music and our images for visuals, has tiptoed around the issues,” she said. “You are part of the cycle that perpetuates these conscious behaviors. You have continually let us down with your insensitivity and tone-deafness, and damage control excuses of ‘we will do better.’”

Smalls received support in the comments of her Instagram post on Thursday, with Ricky Martin writing: “Speak up and speak up, Joan.

Linda Evangelista also called the alleged incident “unacceptable,” while Gabrielle Union wrote, “I’m proud of you and we stand by you!!!

Contributing: Ann Oldenburg, Bryan AlexandraR

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