Sephora faces pressure to drop Huda Beauty amid founder’s controversial TikTok video

New Delhi: Sephora, a leading global beauty retailer owned by LVMH, is under scrutiny following a controversial TikTok video posted by Huda Kattan, the founder of Huda Beauty, one of the retailer’s top-selling cosmetics brands. 

The now-deleted video, which sparked widespread backlash, has reignited calls from Jewish advocacy groups and social media users for Sephora to sever ties with the billion-dollar brand. Meanwhile, Kattan and her supporters claim she is the target of a “smear campaign” aimed at silencing her vocal support for Palestine.

The controversy

In late July 2025, Huda Kattan, who commands over 11 million TikTok followers and 57 million on Instagram, posted a video accusing Israel of orchestrating major global events, including World War I, World War II, the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The video also included debunked claims, such as Israel protecting pedophiles and harvesting Palestinian organs, which critics labelled as antisemitic tropes. TikTok removed the video on July 29, citing violations of its community guidelines on hate speech and misinformation. Kattan, however, insists she took the video down herself, claiming it was “misinterpreted and completely misused” by critics.

In a follow-up six-minute video, Kattan addressed the backlash, denying accusations of antisemitism. “I would never condone any hate of any kind. That, of course, includes Jewish hate,” she said, emphasising that she never mentioned Jews or the Holocaust in the original video. She argued that her words were twisted as part of a broader effort to silence her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, where she highlighted the humanitarian crisis, including starvation and civilian casualties. “It’s unfair that you can’t criticise the actions of Israel without being mislabeled,” Kattan stated.

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Sephora’s response and growing pressure

Sephora, which has stocked Huda Beauty products since 2011, responded to the controversy on August 7, 2025, after weeks of mounting pressure. In a statement to CNN, a Sephora spokesperson said, “Sephora is driven by its mission to create a welcoming and inclusive shopping experience for all. We recognise that comments from one of our brand partners have raised concerns and want to be clear: promoting hate, harassment, or misinformation does not align with our values or code of conduct.” The retailer confirmed it is “actively reviewing this issue internally, including working with the brand,” but provided no further details on potential actions.

Huda Beauty, valued at $1.2 billion with $200 million in annual sales, is a major player in Sephora’s portfolio, alongside retailers like Harrods and Walmart. 

A history of controversy

This is not Kattan’s first brush with controversy. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, she responded to an Israeli customer threatening a boycott by saying, “I don’t want blood money,” prompting an earlier petition with over 30,000 signatures calling for Sephora to drop her brand.