Gabrielle Union has joined several celebrities in sharing their support for Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson after Kanye West insulted her on Instagram this week.
“The Inspection” actor shared a “Women Crush Wednesday” post dedicated to Karefa-Johnson on Instagram Wednesday, calling on her followers to help “lift her up in the light of goodness and hold her there!”
Union posted a fun video montage of Karefa-Johnson – a longtime contributor and global fashion editor at large at Vogue – and celebrated her mark in the fashion industry.
“It’s likely your favorite celeb has been styled by [Karefa-Johnson.] In fact, she became the first Black woman to style a Vogue cover, and now has consistently worked on cover after cover with the publication,” Union wrote.
In addition to Karefa-Johnson’s “unique sense of style,” Union celebrated how she often voices her opinion.
“I admire her strength and bravery on speaking out on what’s not right, and believe she should NOT be silenced,” she wrote.
Bennett Raglin via Getty Images
West, who legally changed his name to Ye last year, drew wide criticism on Tuesday after he attempted to mock Karefa-Johnson’s fashion choices by posting photos of her in since-deleted Instagram posts, writing that she is “not a fashion person,” among other insults.
The rapper’s remarks were in response to Karefa-Johnson’s critiques of West’s show at Paris Fashion Week on Monday, where he debuted “White Lives Matter” shirts. West was photographed wearing a shirt featuring the reactionary phrase deemed a hate slogan by the Anti-Defamation League.
Karefa-Johnson shared many thoughts in her Instagram Stories about the shirt, writing that although she knew “what he was trying to do,” she found the slogan’s display to be “deeply offensive, violent, and dangerous.”
Vogue released a statement of support for the editor on Instagram, writing that she was “personally targeted and bullied” by West.
The publication confirmed that Karefa-Johnson had since had a private meeting with the rapper, who claimed in a later Instagram post that they “apologized to each other for the way we made each other feel” during that meeting.
Karefa-Johnson opened up about the ordeal in an Instagram post on Wednesday, writing that she has endured fatphobic attacks amid the drama with West.
“I’ve fielded some serious volatility over the last couple of days, but nothing has been quite as bad as what people have said about my body and the way I look,” she wrote.
“The fat phobia JUMPED out. Yes, I am fat. No, I am not humiliated to show up as my authentic self in the world,” she continued, celebrating designers like Chopova Lowena for their body inclusivity.
“To my fellow fat sisters and brothers, put that lil dress on, grab your miniskirts: We ride at dawn!” she added.