Huda Beauty’s Hateful Rant Sparks Sephora Boycott: Antisemitism Exposed
Sephora faces growing demands to drop Huda Beauty after founder Huda Kattan posted a TikTok video spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories, falsely accusing Israel of global atrocities while ignoring the ongoing hostage crisis. The controversy, condemned by Jewish organizations, highlights a trend of influencers promoting Hamas narratives without addressing the conflict’s full context.
Sephora is under intense pressure to sever ties with Huda Beauty after its founder, Huda Kattan, posted a now-deleted TikTok video on July 29, 2025, spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Kattan, with over 11 million TikTok followers, falsely claimed Israel orchestrated World War I, World War II, the September 11 attacks, and Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, which killed 1,200 Israelis and abducted 251 hostages.
The video, removed by TikTok for violating community guidelines on hate speech and misinformation, also included debunked tropes about Israel protecting pedophiles and harvesting Palestinian organs. The American Jewish Committee condemned the content, stating, “This isn’t criticism of Israeli policy, it’s raw hate.” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt added, “She built a beauty brand, but what she’s spreading is nothing short of ugly antisemitism.”
This marks Kattan’s second major controversy. In October 2023, she responded to an Israeli customer’s boycott threat with, “I don’t want blood money,” prompting a Change.org petition with over 30,000 signatures urging Sephora to drop Huda Beauty, valued at $1.2 billion with $200 million in annual sales. The recent video, ignoring the plight of 49 remaining hostages, 22 believed alive, while echoing Hamas propaganda, has reignited boycott calls. Ari Hoffnung of JLens, a Jewish investment network, said, “Retailers have a choice. They can platform a brand whose founder traffics in hate, or they can take a principled stand.” Social media on X amplified the outrage, with one user stating, “Kattan’s lies fuel hate while hostages suffer, Sephora must act.”
Sephora, a key retailer for Huda Beauty alongside Harrods and Walmart, has remained silent, drawing scrutiny amid a broader surge in antisemitism by influencers jumping on pro-Palestinian trends without addressing the conflict’s complexities, such as Hamas’s 1,500-kilometer tunnel network to target Israeli citizens, shows their ignorance. Kattan has not apologized, and her agency has not responded to media inquiries, intensifying demands for accountability.