Viewers disturbed after Kim Kardashian shares photo of controversial accessory: 'It's absolutely disgusting'

A luxury handbag in a social media post from Kim Kardashian landed the celebrity in hot water in late 2025.

The backlash began after users noticed Kardashian posting what appeared to be a rare Birkin bag made from elephant skin. The post, a screenshot of which was shared in the r/KUWTKsnark community, drew strong reactions from viewers concerned about the use of exotic animal materials in fashion.

The screenshot was shared with the caption: "Does she think people are going to be impressed by this? It's absolutely disgusting."

According to PETA, Hermès allegedly manufactured Birkin bags from elephant skin obtained on a safari hunt in the 1980s — although the company never officially sold them.

Kardashian later squashed the rumors, saying the bag was a fake used as a prop in "All's Fair," but the backlash had already taken hold. According to People, this isn't the first time Kardashian has turned heads with her bag collection. On TikTok, she recently shared her birthday present haul, which included a crocodile leather Birkin bag as well as a crocodile clutch.

While crocodile leather is legal to own and trade in the United States (as long as it's accompanied by a CITES certificate), elephant leather is banned in the U.S. and the European Union. Despite this, elephants are still hunted for their tusks and hides — even though many elephant populations are threatened or endangered. 

Beyond legal hunting, poachers kill around 20,000 elephants a year for their tusks, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Kardashian may have confirmed the bag was a fake and no real elephants were harmed, but the damage was done in the eyes of many. For a celebrity with major influence on fashion trends, wearing even a fake "elephant" bag sends a disturbing message.

Commenters didn't hold back. 

"Just so vile my god," one wrote, replying to another comment outlining the "historical relics" of Hermès elephant skin bags, which were allegedly made for a "VIP client" and are only sold in the secondary market as a collector's item.

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Another commenter added, "Nooo nooooo why did i read that.. Whoever that VIP client was should be stomped by a herd. Elephants have excellent memories…" 

A third said, "That bag is disturbing on so many levels!"

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