Kendall Jenner
Kendal Jenner’s Pepsi commercial was not well-received by the viewers. Pictured: Star attends the Fendi show in Milan on Feb. 23, 2017. Getty Images/Tristan Fewings

Kendal Jenner may have made a blunder in the latest Pepsi commercial. The ad reportedly received intense backlash from viewers, leading to social media users erupting in mockery and outrage.

On Tuesday, April 4, Pepsi released a new commercial starring the supermodel and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star. The two-minute ad featured the young model posing for the camera in what appears to be a photoshoot as protesters take over the streets. She later removes her blond wig and lipstick and joins the protesters. She hands one law enforcement officer a can of Pepsi who gladly accepts it. He opens the can and takes a sip as the protesters cheers and applauds him.

According to Fox News, the video was slammed as it appeared to be an appropriation of the Black Lives Matter movement. Some compared the scene of Jenner and the officer to a widely circulated photo of Black Lives Matter protester Leshia Evans last year in Louisiana. Evans was detained shortly after she approached a police officer at a demonstration in Baton Rouge.

READ: Kendall Jenner and sister Kylie talk about their stylish new sunglasses

One Twitter user shared Evans’ photo online and stressed that she did better than Jenner. Similar to the user’s reaction, others also took to the social media site to express their outrage, calling the ad shallow, overproduced, tone-dead and unrealistic.

Following the intense backlash, Pepsi addressed the viewers’ concerns and criticisms of their latest ad. “This is a global ad that reflects people from different walks of life coming together in a spirit of harmony, and we think that's an important message to convey,” the company said in a statement.

But while Jenner’s Pepsi commercial was criticized by many, some believed that the star was not to blame for the controversy that the advertisement sparked. “No fan of Kendall Jenner, but it’s not fair to blame her for the @pepsi ad. Blame the execs and the ad company that thought this was ‘woke af,’” Jessica Chobot wrote on Twitter.

Jenner told E! News earlier that she believed in the spirit of Pepsi’s “Live For Now Moments” anthem. For her, the brand is more than a beverage because it showcases different lives, stories and emotional connections in their ads.

With Jenner’s Pepsi commercial receiving an intense backlash from viewers, will the “KUWTK” star change her mind about the brand? Drop a comment below.

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