Sephora has reportedly removed Huda Beauty from its upcoming fall “Experts” campaign after founder Huda Kattan faced criticism for spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories on TikTok.
The Iraqi-American entrepreneur, who launched her billion-dollar cosmetics empire in 2013, shared a video in July claiming Israel was behind World War I, World War II, the 9/11 attacks and the October 7 Hamas attack.
The video was removed by TikTok for violating platform rules.
Sephora, owned by luxury group LVMH, initially said it was reviewing the incident. In August, the retailer confirmed it had opened an internal investigation, stressing that “promoting hatred, harassment or false information stands in complete opposition to our values.”
Originally, Kattan was set to be a “big anchor” of the September launch, which will now feature artists such as Gucci Westman, Patrick Starr and Mario Dedivanovic. According to Puck’s Rachel Strugatz, “the absence of Kattan, who sits atop one of the bestselling artist-led brands at the store, will speak volumes.”
Kattan later issued a response claiming her words were misinterpreted, saying her comments were intended as criticism of Israeli policy rather than Jews or Judaism. She accused critics of leading a defamation campaign against her.
While Huda Beauty products remain on sale at other major retailers, the brand relies heavily on Sephora’s North American distribution network.
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