Teresa Giudice says she was unaware of the controversy surrounding Balenciaga when she faced backlash for wearing a sweater from the fashion brand two weeks ago.
“I was embarrassed,” Giudice, 50, said on Wednesday’s episode of her PodcastOne show, “Namaste B$tches.”
“So I did not know.”
The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star explained that she and her husband, Luis Ruelas – who originally posted the snap – “check[ed] out of social media completely” while vacationing in Paris at the time.
“I brought a sweater — I totally forgot I had it from last year, I never wore it — and I brought it because I heard it was chilly there in Paris, and it was a great sweater to wear during the day,” Giudice told her listeners.
However, Ruelas was quick to notice that something wasn’t right when fans started leaving negative comments about Giudice continuing to support the brand.
“I had no idea, but I guess Luis looked more into it, and then he took it down,” Giudice concluded. “He didn’t feel comfortable with it being up.”
The since-deleted photos showed Giudice wearing a white sweater with the brand name plastered all over it in front of several iconic Paris attractions, including the Eiffel Tower.
Similar Balenciaga styles retail for around $1,450.
Fans immediately called Giudice out for “endorsing” the brand despite its “disturbing” ads.
The fashion house has been under fire for two campaigns – one featuring photos of children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage gear, and the other including printouts of court documents relating to child pornography laws.
Balenciaga has since issued two apologies and “removed the campaign from all platforms” last month. The brand’s creative director, Demna, also apologized and took responsibility for the “wrong artistic choice of concept for the gifting campaign.”
