Kim Kardashian has been facing criticism over the past week, after her eldest daughter North West made her debut on stage as Simba in The Lion King 30th Anniversary — A Live-to-Film Concert Event at the Hollywood Bowl.
The ten-year-old reality star, whose father is Kanye West (legally known as Ye) shared the stage with esteemed performers like Jeremy Irons and Jennifer Hudson.
Clips of the performance were shared on social media and received a negative response from viewers who believed that the child lacked preparation for such a prominent role and was only given the opportunity due to her parents’ fame.
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Kim Kardashian Faces Backlash For Permitting ‘Nepotism Baby’ North West To Perform In Live Lion King Production
On May 27th, Entertainment Tonight (ET) shared clips of the performance and many viewers argued that North’s singing voice was “not strong enough” for the role and that she only obtained it due to “nepotism.” One user commented: “I went to the show and it was a disaster. Give actual theater kids an opportunity not because you gave famous parents. This was horrible.”
Someone else added: “Nepotism at its best. Too bad for the talented child that deserved the role.” One other noted: “I also feel bad for the other professional performers on the stage. Imagine years of training in acting, singing, and dancing, countless auditions and rejection, and working hard to prepare for your role, only to have to share the stage with a child who wouldn’t be cast in her school play if it weren’t for her last name. She makes everyone on stage look amateur.”
An additional viewer chimed in: "I feel really sad for North West. it’s good to compliment your kids and give them validation, but not to the point we enter the realm of delusion and make them believe they possess a talent they do not. The girl cannot dance. The girl cannot sing. She doesn’t even have minimal stage presence."
This isn't the first time that the SKIMS mogul, 43, and "Flashing Lights" rapper, 46, have come under fire for promoting their daughter's artistic and musical projects.
They notably faced backlash in March after allowing the child to launch an album entitled, Elementary School Dropout, a nod to her father’s renowned 2004 EP, The College Dropout.
Many fans on social media were particularly displeased with the title of her upcoming album, referring to her parents as “dangerous,” while others argue that Kardashian and Ye (who also share children Saint, 8, Chicago, 6, and Psalm, 43) should just “let her be a kid.” Collaborating with her controversial Grammy-winning father,
North took on the new venture of rapping and singing in their popular release, “Talking/Once Again,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. The song, and Ye’s album Vultures 1, was dropped back in February. North also shared the spotlight with her dad in the "Talking" music video as well, confidently showing off her musical abilities and referring to herself as “Miss Westie” while singing and rapping.
During a Vultures 1 listening party in Phoenix on March 10th, North took the stage alongside the "Runaway" artist, sporting Vultures merchandise and a stylish fur hat. "I’ve been working on an album," she told the crowd, garnering cheers and applause. The child added: "And it’s called Elementary School Dropout."
In a March 13th Instagram post, ET shared the news about North's upcoming music. Fans headed to the post's comments section to share their thoughts. "Let north be a kid. What is this, she doesn't need an album at her age," one wrote. Another added: "This child is too young for this. Make her wait a few years and let her be a child." Someone else called Kardashian and Ye's choice to allow North to pursue this "creepy and dangerous."
Others expressed their qualms with North's apparent record title. "So did she drop out of elementary school tho ?" one concerned user asked as one other wrote: "What a name for an album wtf." Another chimed in: "Why that album title?"
According to Billboard, North's latest collaboration with Ye on the fourth Vultures 1 track debuted at No. 30 on the Hot 100, amassing an impressive 12.33 million official U.S. streams during its first week of tracking. This achievement made her one of the youngest artists ever to grace the chart and also landed her a spot on the Emerging Artist tally.
Even still, many fans on social media were divided after hearing North's contribution to Ye and Ty Dolla $ign's aforementioned song. While North's parents have yet to respond to this backlash, Kardashian wasn't shy to highlight her daughter's chart-topping success in an Instagram Story post earlier this year.
The Kardashians star shared a repost of the chart for "Talking" with her 364 million followers at the time, writing: "My baby!!!!"
