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In a viral moment last week, 9-year-old North West attended the Jean Paul Gaultier show and held up a handwritten sign which read, “Stop,” toward the paparazzi.
The moment was one of levity for many, but for others—it highlighted the need for a conversation around respecting the boundaries of children. Even famous ones.
Her mother, Kim Kardashian, addressed the video with levity saying on Instagram, “For anyone who knows North knows how funny she finds this video! North I guess had it with the people taking pictures of her so she wrote on her invite STOP and held it up and wanted them to just focus on the show.”
However, fans have pointed out, per Buzzfeed, that North has long expressed her disdain for the paparazzi and many wonder why her famous parents don’t do more to protect her.
“If you know she don’t like the pics then why bring her to the FRONT ROW???” one person responded to Kardashian’s post.
Related: Kanye West Blasts Kim Kardashian For North West TikTok Account, Ex Returns Fire
Buzzfeed also noted that in another recent instance, North asked the paparazzi, “Why do you have to wait for us all the time?” One of them responded, “Because you’re so famous. We love you, North!”
In one viral comment on Twitter, a critic wrote, “Kim is in for a surprise when North has more agency and is older. She’s been having breakdowns around paparazzi since she was a baby but Kim still refuses to take the measures to shield her because that family operates on exploitation- even of their youngest.” The tweet has been liked more than 100,000 times.
The tweet continued, “It isn’t appropriate for adult men to be telling little girl that they follow her because they love her. She clearly hates being photographed by them and that she can’t escape them- we know the Karjenners know how to disappear when they want so… shield your daughter.”
Buzzfeed also pointed out that at the age of 2, North famously yelled, “No pictures!,” to waiting paparazzi. Yet, her parents have continued to put her in the spotlight including in the front row of fashion shows.
On an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, her mother tried to explain why people are always taking pictures of the family, saying, “Well, to get very technical — my name is Kim Kardashian. And Daddy is Kanye West. And Daddy is a singer. Performer. Artiste. And Mommy has so many talents I can’t even begin to name them.”
Despite the level of fame of the Kardashian-Jenner family—which has been built on voyeurism. Many are wondering if it is time to give the kids a break from the spotlight. “[Let’s] be honest plenty of celebs have kids that you barely even see pics of, like Beyoncé’s twins are rarely captured and I know they get out the house, but their parents find ways to protect them,” one Twitter user wrote, adding, “I just pray the family takes her seriously when she’s older.”
