Kim Kardashian has cast Alice Marie Johnson in a new ad for her renamed shapewear line, SKIMS.
Last year, Kardashian successfully lobbied President Trump to pardon the 63-year-old Johnson — who was serving a life sentence with no possibility of parole for a nonviolent drug offense — to much praise. However, Kardashian's choice to feature Johnson in an advertisement for her new "sculpting bodysuit" has raised some eyebrows online.
In the video, Johnson talks about her freedom and how Kardashian "went to war" for her, before eventually segueing to the way shapewear also helps her "feel free."
"This shapewear makes me feel that I can walk into the store, I can pick up something that I normally wouldn't think about wearing and I can put it on, and it's going to look great on me," she says.
However, the spot has made many online uncomfortable. Because while some pointed out that Johnson is free to do whatever she wants and that their criticism isn't meant to question Kardashian's motivations for working on criminal justice reform, others feel that using "the injustices of the criminal justice system as a way to advertise something she'll make money" is somewhat "skeevy," as one Twitter user put it.
This isn't shitting on Kim for trying to help people or pretending like Alice isn't free to do what she wants (for the first time in a long time)
— Darby (@DarbyQuinnAF) August 30, 2019
Just that it's skeevy to use the injustices of the criminal justice system as a way to advertise something she'll make money from. https://t.co/4t0IqriUxu
Kim Kardashian helped free Alice Marie Johnson from prison. Now, Johnson is modeling for Kim's new shapewear brand. Yes, it's as bleak as it sounds. https://t.co/PcSNH7IDae
— Ashley Reese (@offbeatorbit) August 29, 2019
Kim let Ms Alice enjoy her freedom and stop parading her for fame of a body shapeware line
— Lil’ Knot (@GetOffMyZickk) August 30, 2019
Kim kardashian is so fucking toxic she got Alice Marie Johnson free just to use her to sell her dumb spanx knock offs. If I see Kimberly I will fight her bodyguard on site. That’s probably as far as I can get.
— alex smith (@alexsmi46471241) August 29, 2019
For her part, Kardashian has yet to respond to the criticism.
Photo via Getty