Kendall Jenner has ‘shut herself off from the limelight’ amid Pepsi backlash

KENDALL Jenner has retreated from the limelight as she deals with backlash from her shockingly tone deal Pepsi ad.

KENDALL Jenner has been left “heartbroken” by the backlash to her Pepsi advert and has retreated from the limelight as she comes to terms with the shocking outcome.

Pepsi came under fire last week for an advert featuring the reality star, which appeared to trivialise the Black Lives Matter movement.

The commercial sees the 21-year-old model use a can of Pepsi to end a stand-off between police and a group of young protesters of all races.

The tone deaf ad was hit with immediate backlash.

It was pulled after only a day.

Kendall seems to have ended oppression with a soft drink.

But viewers pointed out the imagery echoes that of the young woman Ieshia Evans serenely standing up to armed police in Baton Rouge while protesting the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling.

Now Kendall has retreated from the limelight, and hasn’t uploaded photos or posts on her social media since.

While she’s been pictured out in LA, she’s kept her face covered from photographers each time, and failed to smile.

A source exclusively told The Sun online: “Kendall is absolutely heartbroken by how everything has turned out, she had no idea it would end up like this.

“She’s taking time out from the limelight to come to terms with everything.

“It’s very upsetting for her, she never meant for any of this to happen.”

Now, according to TMZ , the star plans to reappear at Coachella this weekend, where it’s reported she will host a party for the dating app Bumble.

The Sun online has contacted Kendall’s reps for comment.

The short film for Pepsi showed Kim Kardashian’s half-sister, 21, skip out of a photo shoot to join a protest alongside placard-waving campaigners, before she offers a can of Pepsi to one of the surly-looking police officers as a sign of peace.

The short film also features music from Jamaican singer-songwriter Skip Marley, who released his debut single Lions in February 2017.

Skip — whose single appears on the moments advert — said: “Standing together and being unified in the moment is a powerful experience.

“This song Lions that Pepsi selected for the ‘Moments’ ad should remind our generation to look at the way you are living and find strength and calm in each moment.”

The backlash started when viewers pointed out the film’s imagery echoes that of Ieshia Evans serenely standing up to armed police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while protesting the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling.

People across the world — including celebs — have taken to Twitter to criticise the advert since it’s release on Tuesday, with Charlotte Church stating: “This makes me sick” and retweeting Kris Jenner’s support of the commercial.

Others have been left in disbelief at how tone deaf the advert is. Daily Show writer Kashana Cauley wrote: “So all us dark people have to do is convince a cop that the Pepsi we’re holding isn’t a gun.”

The advert has since been pulled.

This story originally appeared in The Sun and is republished here with permission.