North West, the 12-year-old daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, is at the receiving end of online backlash after debuting a provocative new look on social media.
The almost-teen shared a series of TikTok videos on Saturday (January 3), through the “Kim and North” account she shares with her mother.
Dancing and lip-syncing alongside a friend, she showed off what appeared to be a bridge piercing, blackened teeth resembling grills, and a massive 106-carat diamond skull pendant.
Highlights
- North West sparked backlash after debuting faux piercings, black grills, and a 106-carat diamond pendant.
- Critics shifted focus from North to Kim Kardashian, accusing her of encouraging excess and outrage.
- Netizens warned that chasing attention so young could lead to deeper struggles later in life.
While North has drawn criticism before for her styling choices, this time the outrage shifted decisively toward Kardashian.
Netizens blasted Kim Kardashian after her daughter, North, uploaded a video flaunting faux piercings and expensive jewelry
Image credits: kimandnorth
In the newly posted videos, North appeared with silver, ball-shaped piercings placed across her face, including a horizontal bridge piercing through the nose.
The body modification is widely believed to be fake, as North has previously experimented with both faux piercings and temporary tattoos to generate online outrage.
Still, the optics unsettled many viewers.
Image credits: kimandnorth
Both North and her friend wore multiple facial piercings while dancing and lip-syncing, but it was North’s teeth that drew the most attention.
The 12-year-old appeared to be wearing black grills, replacing the sparkly, pointed grills she had shown off on social media just weeks earlier during Christmas.
Image credits: kimandnorth
Another polarizing detail was the jewelry hanging around North’s neck. Kardashian had gifted her daughter a 106-carat diamond skull pendant for Christmas, a piece North proudly displayed in the clips.
“Does a 12-yr old really need a 106-carat diamond necklace around her neck?” a viewer asked.
Image credits: kimandnorth
Commenters warned that this deliberate courting of backlash, when paired with a hyper-luxurious lifestyle normalized from such a young age, risks pushing North toward a destructive cycle.
“I won’t be a bit surprised when we find out later that she gets herself into a world of trouble because she was given so much so soon,” another added.
Critics believe North’s behavior could lead to deeper struggles once she reaches adulthood
North paired the diamond chain with an oversized Balenciaga jersey, a pleated mini skirt, tights, fuzzy boots, spiky cuff bracelets, and a black shoulder bag. Critics were not impressed.
“It’s like looking at a garish caricature of what should be a pretty girl,” one commenter wrote.
Another framed the issue as a class and values problem.
“When poor people do this it’s called a desperate cry for help and attention,” the user said.
“Another generation headed down the path of vapid consumerism while setting what is in my opinion a horrible example to kids her age.”
Some commenters pointed directly to Kardashian’s own history.
“You would think after being robbed in the horrific way Kim was that she wouldn’t want her kid flaunting diamonds,” one wrote, referencing Kardashian’s 2016 Paris robbery.
Others escalated the criticism beyond Kim herself.
“Mom Chris Jenner needs to step in. Kim is out of control with her kids.”
Kim Kardashian sees her daughter behavior as her exploring her sense of fashion and style
Image credits: kimkardashian
Amid the backlash, there were those who believe that North is not simply experimenting, but actively learning how outrage functions in the world of celebrities.
North has caught the attention of outlets repeatedly for bleached brows, faux tattoos, corsets, daring outfits, and dermal piercings.
Image credits: kimkardashian
Kardashian, for her part, has framed her daughter’s actions as confidence, insisting that North is unaffected by criticism.
“She’s really mature in one sense where she’ll be like, ‘Mom, I saw this, and I don’t really care that they don’t like … my blue hair or this or that,’” Kardashian said during an October episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast.
“She teaches me a lot. So she has a really unique style,” she added in September. “She puts me on to so many brands. Like, she just loves what she loves.”
Image credits: kimandnorth
Critics, however, remain unconvinced. For them, it’s precisely Kim’s fascination with her daughter that’s the problem.
“Parent!” a user wrote. “Kayne is losing it but he’d never allow that girl to look, or do the stuff she’s doing.”
According to Page Six, North West's Instagram page has become "unavailable." Her TikTok profile, on the other hand, remains online.
"Hollywooded." Netizens shared their thoughts on North's posts on social media
