Kim Kardashian Says 2010 Elle Shoot with Justin Bieber Was a Mistaken Concept
Appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast (episode posted Oct. 15), Kardashian reflected on one piece of past work she now views differently.
Kim Kardashian acknowledged that, among the public controversies she’s weathered, there is one moment she now regrets: a sensual photoshoot with Justin Bieber from when he was 16.
During her conversation with host Alex Cooper, Kardashian visibly hesitated when asked to name something she thought might be worthy of cancellation. “I know what it is, and I think I’m going to get canceled if I say it,” she admitted, sounding uncertain.
She described the session bluntly: she and Bieber participated in a shoot that, at the time, seemed innocuous — the pop star’s girlfriend and his parents were present — but in hindsight struck her as an odd creative choice. “I don’t know who approved this or who thought this narrative was appropriate,” Kardashian said, noting how strange the concept now appears looking back.
The photos in question were shot for Elle magazine in 2010, when Kardashian was 29. The spread, reportedly inspired by the 1967 film The Graduate, shows the two posed on a Bahamian beach holding hands and looking at one another. Other frames include Bieber planting a kiss on Kardashian’s cheek and Kardashian sensually brushing a rose across his face.
“I must have been around 30,” she reflected. “Nothing inappropriate happened, but the idea itself feels off now — it wouldn’t be the most suitable concept today.”
Kardashian emphasized that her relationship with Bieber and his family remains friendly. Bieber has stayed close to the Kardashian circle through his wife, Hailey, who is good friends with Kendall Jenner. The singer is also now a father to a one-year-old son, Jack Blues.
Despite past controversies, Kardashian maintained she hasn’t done anything she believes warrants being “canceled.” “I’ve never really done anything to be canceled,” she said on the podcast. “I stand by what I’ve done — I haven’t said or done anything extreme.”
Watch Kardashian’s full interview in the embedded player above.
