We recently heard that Instagram influencers are struggling to keep their diet tea and subscription box sponsorships in this scary economy. It’s just a terrible time to think about any of that, and it seems like eons ago when we even cared about it, although businesses are still promoting themselves hard. Many celebrities are taking the hint and dialing back their promotional efforts, but not Kristin Cavallari. She promoted her jewelry business on Instagram late last week with a tone deaf message about sticking together and taking advantage of their 20% off sale. Then, when she got called out for it she defended herself by saying that she has employees she wants to keep paying.
Kristen wrote: “**PLEASE READ** I’ve spent years building this family of followers on Instagram and now more than ever I’m having trouble reaching all of you when I need to most. The algorithms have thrown me huge curveballs and for the first time in a long time, I have a new way to get in front of all of you within SECONDS. That is why I’m excited to announce that I’m launching a new platform where I can reach each and everyone of you every time via text! No more BS. This content will be EXCLUSIVE. Intimate. And most importantly YOU WILL NEVER MISS IT. All you have to do is click the link in my bio to sign up now!! I promise to deliver incredible content you won’t find anywhere else ever. First looks into new projects, my favorite recipes, products, lifestyle tips and more. Tag a friend you know who won’t want to miss out! xo” – From Instagram
People commented: You seem completely out of touch with what is going on in the world right now. You are just worried about selling your products
Hi, I really like your shows and have watched you since Laguna Beach, but all the holiday posting during this difficult time is inappropriate, as a lot of people are worried to leave their home x
TONE DEAF!!!!! I hope people choose to make life easier on your worries of producing great content and just unfollow.
Kristen responded on her IG stories: “I know this is a weird time for everyone and it feels strange to promote UJ. But I’m responsible for over 100 employees, so you better believe I’m gonna do everything in my power to keep all of my employees.”
[From Instagram via Perez Hilton]
I get that aspect of it, wanting to keep employees, but isn’t she rich enough to eat some of those costs for a while as we see how this pans out? Couldn’t she pivot her business to give back? I guess her husband is retired now and they probably have high expenses trying to live an aspirational life on Instagram. I’m on the fence about this one because so many businesses are shilling hard now, she’s just the face of one and that’s why people are holding her personally accountable.
I do have an issue with her showing her as- in a bikini like nothing has changed though. Kristen is an anti-vaxxer, so I would bet she’s like Evangeline Lilly, she’s just not talking about it much. Are all of those anti-vaxxers going to refuse the vaccine for this when we finally get one? I bet 90% of them are, because you have to be powerfully stupid to take that stance in the first place. It’s not like seeing people die and suffer is going to change their minds. You know that a-hole in the oval office is going to find a way to make it optional too, if it’s even out before we get President Biden. Knock all the wood for both an early vaccine and a sane administration.
This was her last post as of publication. She’s an a-hole.
She could definitely afford to pay her employees out of pocket, that was just an excuse. I don’t really care about her bikini photo. It’s thirsty as usual but doesn’t surprise me. However I do think people should be more sparing about when they wear thong bikinis. I will note that I’m American so they used to be less prevalent here, so I do think it can look trashy and inappropriate to have your butt hanging out on a beach full of families and kids. I don’t know where that photo was taken, just a general comment.
she could apply for a grant or assistance as a small business owner….her excuses are just that….excuses.
And this tirade about paying her employees just confirmed that she was having them come in to work instead of being at home isolating.
My sister had to unfollow her because she was posting how rough this is, while on vacay… tone deaf is an understatement.
I was reading through the comments on her IG, and apparently her group has been stuck in Mexico for 2 weeks. I mean, yeah, stuck on vacation — I can think of worse things. But if her children are home, and she made this quick trip because they’re filming for the show, I can see that being hard for her family.
I never watched The Hills or any of that era of MTV reality programming, so I was pretty unaware of her before Very Cavallari. But I tuned into VC (because I live in Nashville), and I found myself liking her and her husband. I fast-forward through every other contrived plotline, but I think she and Jay are funny. 🤷
Is there ever a time when she is not a idiot or as*hole?
Not that I’ve ever seen.
Yeah, she’s been an a-hole since Laguna Beach.
She is a total a-hole and I wonder why she’s still thought of as being relevant enough to warrant being written about. Thanks to this airhead not vaccinating her kids if a covid vaccine comes out, once again she will put other’s lives at risk.
Oh bless this child. Still trying to stay relevant after all of these years.
Kristen is a pretty much an a–hole, but I’ve gotta say…every big, medium, and small business I’ve given my email address to is running similar promos on Instagram, via email, etc. They are all trying to promote positivity (which I personally find annoying coming from someone trying to sell me online yoga classes, jewelry, handbags, etc) and offering discounts. She’s a hustler for sure, and bikini pics are her brand of hustle. And she’s definitely not the only business owner trying to get their customers to take on the burden of their payroll by promoting sales, so they don’t have to dip into their own pockets or take out payroll loans. Total b.s., but it’s happening everywhere. This stuff is tone deaf, but not the biggest offense I’ve seen during this crazy time. I don’t really think she needs to be singled out singled out. I’d rather yell at her for being an anti-vaxxer.
I have a friend who has a jewelry business and just posted about her new spring line on social media. It is just her, though, scraping her way through the past 25 years and gradually building enough of a customer base to pay her bills. So supporting her, a tiny business, seems okay.
Kristin is a completely different story. As CB said the right thing to do, if she refuses to lay low, would be for them to find ways to give back.
I’m in the same boat. Handmade home decor, just me working from home with my husband. It’s hard to know how to handle these times, you don’t want to come across as tone deaf and promote your items but also have bills to pay at the same time.
I can imagine that it’s tricky. I feel for you. But if you’re like my friend, who is a kind, humble and generous artist and business owner, it doesn’t come across as tone deaf to show off your work. Best to you!
I don’t have an issue with people continue to promote their business. I like that there’s some sense of people trying to continue on during this insanity, even if the way that comes out is different than it used to. Obviously the general priority is and should be on getting through this pandemic and flattening the curve, but people can care about more than one thing at once. I know a lot of people are turning to online shopping to ease their anxiety and maybe some jewelry will brighten their day I don’t know.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I feel inundated enough with coronavirus related news and info on all platforms, and I don’t think she’s an asshole for having a post that isn’t completely focused on the current pandemic.
I don’t know… I’m torn…while I know businesses have to sell to pay their own bills/employees, it feels wrong *for/to me (and this is ONLY MY opinion/feeling)* to be shopping for non-essentials right now. Our delivery systems are so overloaded right now with people ordering food and basic necessities to make it through this nightmare; ordering something “non-essential” seems so frivolous.
That’s fair too. I do think that fedex/ups/the post office need to have adequate protections for their workers and make their workers feel safe during all of this, especially if people are online shopping more.
I hear you and I’ve been thinking about that. What if a loved one has a birthday coming up and you want to send a gift? Do you delay it until the lockdown is over or do you order and send it, hoping it will brighten their day? I get that gifts are “non-essential,” but in these scary times, maybe they are as important as ever?
Yeah I’ll save my sentiments for the small business owners who are actually at risk of losing their business and homes.
Coming from someone who is very wealthy and financially secure I’ll side eye it, yes.
I don’t take an issue with people trying to promote their business either, but considering her position and wealth, it’s very tone deaf to use her employees as an excuse. A jewelry company is not essential, her people should not be working, and she should be able to afford a payroll or two at least.
Another way to do it would be to donate a portion of the proceeds instead of running a sale, and then at least someone else would benefit.
I hate people who use “gonna” and “wanna.” It’s falsely chummy in a way that I find grating.
She’s a moron.
That’s all I’ve got for the moment.
I do voice to text a lot on my phone, and it keeps doing that – gonna, wanna, gotta, it’s so annoying! If I catch it I change it.
Unless I’m writing something formal, I type like I tawk. When I read messages from friends, I hear them in their voices. So I figure it’s ok if I gotta be a lil’ bit more colloquial. It’s kinda like we’re just hanging out around the campfire.
Also, I bet that when they come up with a ‘rona vaxx that she will be first in line!
This is nothing but a vanity project. When you look at the millions upon millions her husband took from Chicago and Miami, well, her employees shouldn’t be suffering.
She is just so thirsty and so desperate to be seen as a serious businesswoman, she can’t see the forest for the trees.
I read her comment about her employees, and I thought, “Oh! I didn’t think of that! Actually, good for her.” But then I read that she is anti-vaxx (didn’t know that!), and I thought, “UGH GO AWAY.” And then I thought about the airlines that, while we are expected to have 6-12 month emergency funds, folded fairly quickly (and I got mad again). And then I thought about all of the small businesses that are going through rough times (no shade – this is awful for them). And then I thought about all of the companies I’m receiving never ending promo codes from.
I don’t know. In sum, she’s an asshole for being an anti-vaxxer, but aren’t all businesses trying to engage and keep their customers like this?
My husband works for an airline and the profit margins on flights is ridiculously narrow — the average profit is about $325 CDN per flight when averaged over the whole airline. The fact that any of them make any money at all is a miracle. The cost of maintaining the planes is in the hundreds of thousands if not over a million a year PER PLANE (for example, screws for the cowling are about $150CDN per piece, each of the five screens in the cockpit is $100 000 each, engine replacements cost millions each time you have to do it, the arm rests of the cabin seats are $700CDN each, etc…) , then top it with fuel costs, employees, renting terminal and ramp/hanger space at airports, insurance, and other costs and I don’t blame them for folding. My husband has been laid off due to the airlines closing and he is not surprised or angry at all because he knows how impossible it is to keep planes in the air for the money they make.
My thoughts exactly. I’m getting tons of promotional emails as businesses are trying to stay afloat, so I don’t have a problem with her promoting her business. But I didn’t know she was an anti-vaxxer. I had a fairly neutral opinion of her, but now it’s negative.
I go back and forth with thong/cheeky/g-string bikinis because on one hand…I don’t have much of an issue with nudity. On the other hand…it’s a tacky look lol. It’s one of those things that I when I see people wearing it on public beaches, it just screams, “Give me attention!!” At a pool or home or at a party, I don’t care, but in front of thousands of families at, say, a waterpark, it’s a little ridiculous.
Honestly, the problem isn’t her promoting to me. It’s promoting it half-naked WHILE linking it to the current pandemic. You’ve got a business to run, fine, but don’t send a message of “we need to stick together” along with a 20% coupon. That’s just gauche in an era where historic numbers of people have lost their jobs. These are uncertain times for a lot of people, but nobody’s under the impression that people like her among them.
I’m sorry, I cannot stand this woman. I’ve unfortunately watched a few eps of her dumb very cavalleri show and all she does is live a life of delusion. She surrounds herself with leeches aka yes men who Just enable her asshole attitude. She’s still the same mean girls from the hills now she just sells shitty clothing and accessories for a living. She just really rubs me the wrong way and I don’t buy it for a second that she’s shilling her products for her employees. Yeah right.
She has a business that she needs to promote. I don’t get the hate for this. She has to make a living too just like everyone else. Businesses that can stay open should stop all production and advertisement in solidarity when others can’t? Whether you like her or not, she shouldn’t have to close her business when she doesn’t have to. These are scary times for everyone. Give her a break on this one.
You know she’s married to a rich former football player, right?
I know more than one non-celebrity business owner who is laying off employees versus dipping into their personal savings to keep them employed. All of the corporate layoffs – how many CEOs/board of directors are offering their personal fortunes?
@Ali – Guarantee you there will be a huge wave of class action lawsuits against various corporations after this is done, naming the companies and their executives as defendants.
Class actions for what, exactly?
@Z- Examples: unsanitary work conditions; feeling pressured or compelled to work despite fearing for their health; inadequate steps to create a safe work environment; providing inadequate or no health insurance (eg forcing people to work part time so they won’t qualify for health insurance); refusing to pay for sick leave (eg McDonalds will only pay two weeks sick leave for their corporate restaurants, they will not extend it/support the policy for their franchises which are 95% of their restaus).
Yep. By next year, I’m betting a lot of corporations – and possibly even government places – are going to court over the handling of this. I wouldn’t be surprised if we even see a states rights suit over how the federal government misled the public and mishandled distribution of medical supplies. This past month has really highlighted how much the loss of organized labor has undercut workers’ rights. A lot of these shutdowns would’ve occurred much faster in nonessential business if unions had a say.
@Veronica – Oh man I can only imagine the lawsuit the Trump Administration is going to be slammed with by NY, CA, MI, and any other state which requested supplies but only got a small fraction of their request. With an amicus brief submitted in support of Trump by Florida.
For me, the offensive part is not even the promotional angle she is shilling, it’s the fact that she is cushioning it under the guise of empathy “we are gonna get through this together.” Girl stop acting like you give a damn about other people’s lives (being anti-vaxx proves that) and just say you want people’s money. Simple. I’m sick of Vapid marketing That leverages people’s pain and suffering in order to be “in”
Plus all of the 1s!
The lack of empathy is just so transparent.
If she were a small business, taking a major hit through all of this, I wouldn’t care if she was promoting her jewelry, but she can definitely afford to pay (or at least should be able to) her employees during this time. I think she’s using that as an excuse. But then again, I’ve been getting emails daily from many businesses doing the same, so if we’re gonna call her out, you gotta call everyone out. Personally, I have only ordered skincare during this time cause skincare=self-care for me.
I’m just genuinely surprised that they’re still married.
@Lobstah
I completely agree. Although, from the Internet gossip I have read, he has definitely not been faithful so it may just be a marriage of convenience, at this point. He has a pretty wife on his arm that looks the other way and she gets to stay married to a rich ex-NFL player. And as a couple, they can continue their branding of a perfect, wholesome family. Of course, I could be totally off but that’s just the vibe I get.
This is the time for online shopping, but if she wants longevity as a famous person who is liked respected and trusted this was a mistake. However I don’t mind getting emails from like h and m to say there’s a sale.
So is it solid gold jewellery or costume or what? Made in china? I can’t tell from instagram
That bikini photo is hilarious because she’s arching her back to a ridiculous degree to give the illusion of a bigger arse.
As a tiny business owner I have really struggled with, should I post my makes on insta/fb etc at this time, but I still have bills to pay. Please don’t hate on me.
I make wood educational toys and have watched as my wholesale orders disappear to nothing but I can’t seem to put myself out on social media-it seems so crass. There is definitely a right and a wrong way to promote one’s business right now. Anyone see the Little Caesar’s Pizza commercial?
I haven’t seen the little Caesar’s commercial. Is it good or bad?
I think the problem is that her business has no relevance (as far as I can tell) to the current situation. Wood educational toys – a perfect gift for Easter baskets. Or to keep the kids busy + learning while under stay-at-home advisories.
Best of luck with your business.
Isn’t her husband from a very rich family? And why doesn’t she use her employees to make face masks and gowns instead of this crap?
She has always been a self-serving, vacuous asshole. She has zero substance or intelligence. Her taking the stance of “I have employees” holds no water because there are millions or billions of people who have employees and want to do right by them. But the difference is is that she has money to cover this herself and many business owners don’t right now. I can’t f**king stand her.
My husband owns 2 small business and my family and I have a retail business that’s been in the family for 40 years. It’s rough! The retail is offer ring online and curbside pickups, but my husband is in lawncare which many are forgoing right now. We’re still advertising, just not in bikinis! We are all applying for grants for our employees. I understand the need to promote? But is there a more appropriate way she could do it? And yes. She just comes off as the biggest a-hole!
The issue is not that she’s promoting her business during Corona. It’s HOW she’s promoting herself/her business.
When social distancing and ‘don’t travel’ became a thing weeks ago, she went ahead and posted pics of herself with friends on vacay having a fantastic time. It was utterly tone deaf and completely self-aggrandizing at a time of fear/uncertainty/health risk for so many.
People spoke up about the vacay pics but she just kept posting them, because apparently she ‘doesn’t read comments.’
Then she says that she needs to support her employees! Um – customer first, then company, then people. How about, hey 20% off if you’d like to brighten someone’s day? How about no bathing suit pics for a hot minute? How about it’s not our responsibility to support her business or employees. It’s our responsibility to buy whatever the F we want.
Also – she sells tin that turns green, it’s garbage and I can’t even imagine her margins on this stuff.
On her show, she’s so self-impressed, she’s a serious business woman, she can’t stop with the self-aggrandizement. Wonder how successful she would be if she didn’t have a platform already? I don’t like the way she treats her followers, she needs a major wakeup call and she’ll probably get one.
Apparently they traveled to Mexico before the $hit really hit the fan, and they’ve been stuck there in isolation for 2 weeks.
Another comment on tone-deaf behavior.
On her show, she traveled to Italy after hiring an individual to look into her family tree. This consultant organized a big party for Kristin and the family she never knew/met.
Her cousin was particularly charming, taking the time to write a 1-page letter in english and read it aloud with an italian accent. It was absolutely lovely.
Kristin also made a speech. ALL in english. Not once did I hear her even say the word CIAO or GRAZIE. It’s pretty rude to not even try at all. It’s not hard to pick up on hello. She kept saying ‘it means the world to me’ that she was meeting everyone, and yet she couldn’t be bothered to communicate in any way that the family could understand.
Again – tone deaf.
@Kristen
Wow, that story makes me more mad than it should. As you say though, she really couldn’t learn even just a few (at the very least) Italian words so that she could connect on a deeper level to the family “that meant so much to her to meet” ?! She really is just the worst, IMO- all about her self, ignorant as hell, and conceited as all get out. Ugh, she has increasingly rubbed me the complete wrong way over the years.
Wow, even her “apology” or reasoning of why she continues to post about her business had to be accompanied by “sexy” shots of her from the boobs up. That is the epitome of tone deaf. This post has taken me from not really liking her to couldn’t think less of her. Ugh.
Didn’t she also post something really inappropriate on 9/11 too? She clearly has a knack for not reading the room.
Geez, so now we are gonna scold business owners who are trying to keep their businesses afloat and pay bills that do not stop coming? I get that Kristen is kind of a twat in general but to broadscale make this a shaming over people trying to continue to pay rent and electricity and have ANYTHING to come back to when we are all allowed back out safely… That seems beyond tone-deaf to me.
She looks like Princess Beatrice’s fiance’s sister, comparing the photos on the main page.
People want to receive texts from her? I can’t imagine. But that’s just me. The last time I ordered contacts, my doc said they were using a new service. Next thing I knew, I was getting daily d@mn texts from the manufacturer. There is nothing exciting enough happening in the world of contacts to warrant daily texts.
It’s just particularly gross that even her “apology” or “justification” messages (the thing about trying to keep her employees) are randomly fringing yet more disgusting beauty shots of her wearing her stupid jewelry and trying to look sexy. Like, great way to underline your sincerity there. Says a lot.
Also, saying “thank you” to people during a truly difficult time, ie not a Labor Day sale or celebrating a millionth follower on Instagram, by offering 20% off her crap?? That’s so… touching.