Kim Kardashian clarified that her controversial elephant Birkin bag was a fake during an appearance on sister Khloé Kardashian’s podcast “Khloé in Wonder Land” on Wednesday. The 45-year-old Skims founder faced backlash in November after being photographed with what appeared to be a rare Hermès Birkin made from elephant hide on the set of her Hulu legal drama “All’s Fair.”
Kardashian pointed out the bag’s upside-down hardware as clear evidence of its counterfeit nature. She explained the gray prop bag was selected simply to match her character’s all-gray outfit for a scene. Despite its inauthenticity, Kardashian expressed regret about the incident, stating, “I wish I was a little bit smarter on that and made a better choice,” acknowledging how the situation appeared to endorse elephant leather products.
The controversy drew criticism from figures like Ireland Baldwin and prompted private outreach from Ellen DeGeneres, a noted animal rights advocate. Kardashian credited DeGeneres with previously influencing her switch to faux fur and appreciated her direct communication about the Birkin situation.
According to PETA, Hermès never commercially sold elephant leather Birkins but created a limited series in the 1980s using skin from an elephant allegedly killed on safari, with current resale prices reaching up to $125,000. Kardashian noted that while she brought many of her personal Birkins for wardrobe options, production also purchased additional bags—including the fake elephant version—as on-set accessories.
Kardashian, whose extensive Birkin collection includes rare designs, delayed addressing the controversy for two months, citing overwhelming criticism about “All’s Fair” at the time. She referenced her typical approach of quickly addressing issues, as seen when she renamed her shapewear line from Kimono to Skims, but admitted her response depends on her capacity to manage multiple controversies simultaneously.