Kim Kardashian West Takes On Chloë Grace Moretz And Bette Midler, But What Will It Do To Her Brand?

Like Bette Midler loosely said, the only thing we haven’t seen of Kim Kardashian West is her insides. There wasn’t much surprise when the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star posted a naked photo Monday. She’s done it plenty of times, but the harsh manner in which she attacked Midler and teenage actress Chloë Grace Moretz was unprecedented. Sounding egotistical and pompous, Kardashian West seemed more like her husband, Kanye West, than herself.

And everyone knows Kim Kardashian West. She has more than 40 million followers on Twitter and 60 million on Instagram. Her reality show has been on for 11 seasons and she and her family are currently filming the 12th. She is the face of a bevy of products, ranging from beauty and clothing items to a mobile app and emoji. She has a reported net worth of $85 million. The brand Kardashian West built has continued to grow despite countless scandals. In the eyes of millions, she can do no wrong.

While her attacks against Midler and Moretz were “more aggressive than normal,” it wasn’t that out of bounds for her, Dan Hill, president of integrated communications and public affairs firm Ervin-Hill Strategy, told International Business Times Tuesday.

Kardashian West accused Midler of being a “fake friend” after the Grammy winner made a joke about the photo. She also belittled Mortez by welcoming her to Twitter — even though she has more than 2.17 million followers — after the “Kick-Ass” actress said Kardashian West should set a better example for women.

“It’s a little out of character, but she is married to Kanye, and she’s been supporting him through attacks and rants,” Hill said, referencing the Tidal rapper’s recent diatribes. “So, I think the two have become a brand together.”

Mimicking her husband’s social media presence isn’t the only off-putting thing Kardashian West has done. Her “Kimoji” emoji feature vulgar images — like a stripper pole gif, a giant glazed peach and the middle finger. And let’s not forget her claim to fame, the notorious leaked sex tape with ex-boyfriend Ray J.

In short, Hill said Kardashian West hasn’t done anything to rattle her bank account. “Fans of hers don’t view her as a peer to Bette Midler. She gets a pass because it’s more of the same thing from her and her husband,” he said. “They think it’s funny.” Hill added: “I really believe they follow the rule that any attention is good attention, even if it’s bad.”

Though that might be acceptable among her followers, it doesn’t mean her actions go without consequences. “I think she’s harmed herself within the entertainment community and with fans of [Midler and Moretz],” Hill said. “Among the industry, Hollywood in particular, it doesn’t bode well for her.”

Further, her antagonistic tweets could hurt the growth of her products. “If she cares about expanding her brand, she could take this seriously,” Hill said. “If I were advising her, I would say she apologize publicly and privately.

“I’m not saying that she didn’t do anything wrong. Just because her fans aren’t impacted doesn’t mean it’s right,” Hill explained. “It would behoove her not to engage in those kind of nasty attacks through social media, but if she wants her brand to be relevant in the sense that people are talking about her, then I guess this is one way she can do it, even if it’s negative.”

As of now, Kardashian West has not issued an apology. It seems unlikely she will do so, especially when her friends and family have publicly supported her outburst. Sister Kylie Jenner tweeted the E! reality star was a “legend.”

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