Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Pulls ‘Geisha Chic’ Highlighter After Backlash

Following criticism surrounding one of Rihanna’s latest Fenty Beauty launches, the brand has pulled the offending product from its lineup.

Last week, Fenty Beauty announced a new line of bronzers and highlighter shades: Mo’ Hunny/Afternoon Snack, #PENNY4UTHOTS and Geisha Chic. The latter immediately sparked controversy online, with fans saying that the red color and name fetishizes Japanese culture.

One Reddit user who commented on the brand’s Instagram page calling out the product name received a direct message. “We hear you, we’ve pulled the product until it can be renamed. We wanted to personally apologize. Thank you so much for educating us,” it said.

Some fans pointed out that this isn’t the first time Rihanna’s been accused of cultural appropriation; her “Princess of China” music video, in which the singer portrays a heavily costumed Asian stereotype, received similar blowback.

But according to watchdog Instagram account Estée Laundry, which posted about the highlighter snafu and the brand’s immediate response, many customers seemed satisfied with Fenty Beauty’s decision to pull and rename the product before it hits shelves on April 5.

“I wish more brands responded like this. Props to Fenty for listening and doing something about it,” one person DM’d the account, according to Estée Laundry’s Instagram Stories. “Fenty swallowed their pride and that is something admirable.”

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