Beauty-supply giant Sephora is facing fierce backlash on the internet for allegedly canceling a Christian, pro-Trump makeup influencer.
Amanda Ensing, 29, says she was dropped as a paid partner by Sephora because of her political and religious views.
The controversy erupted after the makeup analyst with 1.4 million subscribers posted a sponsored video that had been approved by Sephora on YouTube Saturday, in which she lists her top skincare products from the French company. WATCH:
The video received backlash when Ensing tweeted comments during the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Her messages included: “There’s not enough popcorn in the world for what’s about to happen,” and, “The left: I hate it here. America is embarrassing. Only we can riot & loot. Defund the police. Just do what the government tells you & don’t ask questions. The right: Let’s fight for freedom. We love the USA. Defend the Constitution. We support our Military & Law enforcement.”
Additionally, Ensing posted a picture of a woman shooting a gun with a caption stating: “There are no other Rights if you can’t defend them.”
The Daily Mail reported Sephora’s social-media accounts were flooded with critical remarks about its partnership with Ensing, with the hashtag #BoycottSephora quickly emerging.
The company told one Instagram user, writing: “We were made aware that Amanda Ensing, an influencer contracted through one of our external vendors’ campaigns, recently shared content on social media that is not aligned with Sephora’s values around inclusivity. As soon as we were informed, we made the decision to cease all programming with Amanda and will not be engaging her for future partnerships.”
On Sunday, Ensing fired back at the company in a 15-minute Instagram video in which she said she “never condoned violence,” alleging she was unfairly targeted for being a Christian and Republican.
“I only started being called these things by trolls on the internet after I came out as supporting our president, after I came out talking about my conservative views and my religious views,” she said. “When did makeup become political?”
“I mean people have mocked my religion, my faith, my political views, smeared me, called me terrible names. I am none of those things all because I think differently from them,” Ensing continued.
Ensing, from Nashville, Tennessee, indicated she’d be creating her own right-leaning makeup company that does not discriminate based on political views, as she prompted her fans to avoid patronizing Sephora.
“Do you think that conservatives don’t buy your makeup, don’t wear makeup, are we not worthy because you say we don’t align with your values of inclusivity?” she asked.
Sephora claims it has made no attempt to silence Ensing, indicating her contract is with a separate company called RewardStyle.
“We were recently made aware of concerning behavior by Ms. Ensing on her social platforms. Most recently, she made light of the violence and tragic loss of life at our nation’s Capitol last month,” Sephora said in a statement.
“Any claim that this decision was made on the basis of political or religious beliefs is inaccurate, we respect each individual’s right to have their own perspectives and freedom of expression. However, Sephora reserves the right to terminate any partnership we deem inappropriate for our brand.”
Ensing is getting plenty of support online, with many comments railing against Sephora, including:
- “Due to your bullying & attack against Amanda and your overwhelming hypocrisy, I will never again buy your products. In America we do not persecute people for their religion or politics even if they differ from our own. I highly recommend you take an ethics class or casually read the Constitution before you further attempt to discriminate against and silence others.”
- “I won’t be shopping @sephora again because of their blatant prejudice, censorship and communist tactics to silence those who don’t think like them. Thank you, @amandaensing for standing for Truth, freedom, and what’s right! Now, let’s get some serious beauty industry competitors out there that don’t align with communism.”
This latest controversy follows the canceling of MyPillow guy Mike Lindell’s products by retailers including Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s and Wayfair, sparking a massive drop in stock value for Bed, Bath & Beyond last week.
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