FACT CHECK: Viral Image Falsely Attributes Racist Remarks To Michael Kors

August 6th, 2020
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 12: Michael Kors poses backstage during the Michael Kors Collection Spring 2019 Runway Show at Pier 17 on September 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Michael Kors)

An image shared on Facebook over 3,500 times claims fashion designer Michael Kors said, “I’m tired of pretending I like blacks.”

 

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Kors made the comments attributed to him in the image. The quotes appear to have come from a satire website.

Fact Check:

Facebook posts attributing racist remarks to Kors have circulated since 2015. This particular iteration appears to show a screen grab of an article quoting him as also saying he can’t “stomach the thought of my Micheal Kors purses being stuffed with synthetic hair, weave or whatever those people call it.”

But the Daily Caller didn’t find any credible media reports crediting him with the comments, only fact-checkers debunking the attribution. Had he made the statements, it almost certainly would have been picked up by major news outlets. (RELATED: Video Claims To Show Joe Biden Making A Racist Remark)

The quote appears to have stemmed from a 2015 article on the now-defunct website NahaDaily. An archived version of the story shows that the website has a disclaimer at the bottom of the page: “NahaDaily is a daily satirical news source. Meaning complete fiction.”

After George Floyd’s death on May 25 in Minneapolis police custody, the Michael Kors brand announced on Facebook that it would, among other actions, donate to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“Our company does not condone racism, discrimination or violence of any kind,” the statement reads, in part. “We stand in solidarity with the Black community to work towards ending racial prejudice and injustice.”

It also said Kors would be “making a personal donation” to support the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter