L’Oréal reinstates sacked influencer after outcry over racism

The UK model has been given her job back at L’Oreal three years after she was fired for condemning white supremacy demonstrations.

A UK model has been reinstated at L’Oreal three years after being fired by the cosmetics giant.

Munroe Bergdorf is a transgender activist and influencer who was sacked by L’Oreal Paris in 2017 for condemning white supremacy demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Support surged for Bergdorf last week after she called out L’Oreal for supporting Black Lives Matter yet firing her over the same issue just three years ago.

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Model and transgender activist Munroe Bergdorf was sacked by L’Oreal in 2017 for condemning white supremacists.

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The company had posted its support of the Black Lives Matter movement after footage of George Floyd’s death went viral earlier this month.

The black Minneapolis man was killed in police custody, with the incident sparking global protests against racial discrimination.

L’Oreal had shared a post saying that “speaking out is worth it”, with Bergdorf calling the company out and accusing it of having double standards.

“Excuse my language but I am SO angry. F**K YOU @lorealparis,” she tweeted.

“You dropped me from a campaign in 2017 and threw me to the wolves for speaking out about racism and white supremacy. With no duty of care, without a second thought.”

I had to fend for myself being torn apart by the world's press because YOU didn't want to talk about racism.

You do NOT get to do this. This is NOT okay, not even in the slightest.

— Black Lives Matter ✊🏾 (@MunroeBergdorf) June 1, 2020

If you care about me or #blacklivesmatter, don't let @lorealparis get away with this.

— Black Lives Matter ✊🏾 (@MunroeBergdorf) June 1, 2020

‘AT ODDS WITH OUR VALUES’

L’Oreal fired Bergdorf after she reportedly wrote on Facebook: “Honestly I don’t have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people.”

Bergdorf later clarified her comments had been about white supremacist demonstrations and she had been “addressing that fact that western society as a whole, is a SYSTEM rooted in white supremacy”, the New York Post reported.

At the time the makeup company said it had made the decision to terminate her contract as it “campions diversity” and “comments by Munroe Bergdorf are at odds with our values”.

At the time L’Oreal claimed Bergdorf’s comments were “at odds with our values”.

‘NO MORE L’OREAL PRODUCTS FOR ME’

Bergdorf’s tweets last week soon sparked a flurry of outrage, with calls to “boycott L’Oreal” in protest of her sacking.

It seemed unbelievable to many that she could have been sacked for speaking out against racism.

I didn’t know that. No more L’Oréal products for me and my family. Thanks for educating me

— shimmy (@ingu100) June 1, 2020

I mean what an absolute joke, they could have stood behind you and the statement made at the time because let’s face it. Nothing has changed since then, what an absolute PR move to show ‘solidarity’

— Fossy Meade (@FossyMeade) June 1, 2020

List of L’Oréal owned brands - boycott? It’s truly sickening what they have done pic.twitter.com/t6FFNUhX9w

— Molly Chatterton (@MollyChats) June 1, 2020

Bergdorf was this week given a new role at the cosmetics company as part of their diversity and inclusion advisory board.

‘WE SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE’

Yesterday L’Oreal Paris revealed they had spoken with Bergdorf and would be rehiring her to work on the company’s newly-formed UK diversity and inclusion advisory board.

In a lengthy statement posted on the company’s Instagram account L’Oreal Paris brand president Delphine Viguier said the company regretted its treatment of Bergdorf.

“I regret the lack of dialogue and support the company showed Munroe around the time of the termination,” Ms Viguier said.

“We should have also done more to create a conversation for change as we are now doing.”

Ms Viguier said the new board would look to tackle racism both in and outside the company, and L’Oreal would also be donating $45,000 to a transgender youth charity and $45,000 to UK Black Pride.

“Speaking out is worth it, only if we are able to listen, learn and grow,” Ms Viguier said.

Bergdorf wrote on her Instagram that she was “looking forward to new beginnings and a new positive relationship with the L’Oreal team”, thanking people for their support.

“This week I spoke with L’Oreal Paris new president, Delphine Viguier, who reached out to me directly,” Bergdorf wrote.

“We had an open and constructive conversation, she listened to what I had to say and expressed her regret for how the situation was handled three years ago.”