WICHITA, Kan. (AP) â A Kansas makeup artist says she won a national contest sponsored by Kat Von D Beauty but was later disqualified because of an Instagram post supporting Donald Trumpâs presidential candidacy.
Screenshots taken by Gypsy Freeman show she was declared the winner last month of an Instagram âSaint + Sinner Contestâ sponsored by the makeup line, which was founded by tattoo artist and former reality show star Kat Von D.
Freemanâs entry was an Instagram image of an angelic figure beside a girl in an all-black outfit and thick mascara, the . The winner and a guest were to be flown to Los Angeles to attend the launch party for a new Von D makeup line, with a $500 gift card to Sephora thrown in.
But curious Instagram users found Freemanâs pro-Trump post from November.
Von D, who starred in the tattoo-themed TLC reality show âLA Ink,â later messaged Freeman on Instagram to say she had âdrawn a personal line in the sand between myself and anyone who supports that man,â according to screenshots of the conversation.
âMy launch party (and my brand) celebrates many things that Trump is against,â Von D added, according to the screenshots. âAnd I just need you to know that I personally have a hard time with inviting anyone who would support such an anti-feminist, anti-homosexual/LGBT, anti-immigrant, and anti-climate change fascist such as Trump.â
Kat Von D Beautyâs parent company, Kendo Holdings, didnât reply to the newspaperâs messages seeking comment.
Freeman, who splits her time between Wichita and Florida, said she thinks itâs unfortunate that politics was brought into the contest.
âPart of the great thing about this country is having freedom of speech,â she said.
âItâs definitely bigotry â itâs everything that theyâre calling us, theyâre doing,â Freeman added. âItâs a huge case of hypocrisy.â
Jenn Bischof, the Florida photographer who took the photos for Freemanâs entry, was invited â and attended â the launch party.