The thing with being a reality star/influencer is that there really is no such thing as bad publicity.
Even the stuff that seems damaging when it first comes out can wind up being beneficial, especially if it elicits sufficient sympathy from the public.
Take, for example, the controversy surrounding Khloe Kardashian’s unedited bikini photo.
By now, you’ve likely heard about the scandal, but here’s a brief refresher for those who are still feeling a little confused:
Khloe’s maternal grandmother, MJ, snapped a poolside pic, and an assistant of Khloe’s posted the image to Instagram.
Sounds innocent enough, right?
Well, unfortunately, the pic was not approved for posting, and ever since, Khloe has been going ballistic in her efforts to get it scrubbed from the internet.
We won’t be posting the pic here because we don’t want to get sued, but if you look it up yourself (it’s quite easy to find) then you might find yourself wondering what all the fuss is about.
Khloe looks … fine?
She looks healthy and in shape and perfectly normal.
But because the photo doesn’t align with the heavily retouched pics she had previously posted, she not only had to fight to have it removed, she felt the need to go on Instagram Live and prove that she’s as fit as she previously claimed.
It’s a sad situation all around, and we can’t help but feel a little bad for Khloe.
Imagine being in such great shape after welcoming a kid and still feeling the need to scrub realistic photos of yourself from the internet.
But apparently, the situation has worked out to Khloe’s advantage.
According to a new report from UK tabloid The Sun, the controversy could result in some lucrative endorsement deals for the middle Kardashian sister.
“Khloe has been deluged with offers from health and fitness brands and companies in the wake of this," the source says
“The unretouched photo was met with some criticism about how the Kardashians manipulate their images, but mostly the reaction to Khloe herself was positive," the insider adds.
"And opening up how she has struggled with her body image her entire life resonates with a lot of women.
"There are a lot of people interested in starting conversations, some new [to Khloe] with different ideas of how to partner (whether it be equity, campaign, social) and others she has partnered with before.”
Of course, Khloe doesn’t need the money, and she would still probably prefer that the pic had never been leaked.
On Twitter, the mother of one released a lengthy statement explaining why she’s so upset at being exposed in this way.
“The photo that was posted this week is beautiful," she wrote.
"But as someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn’t flattering in bad lighting or doesn’t capture your body the way it is after working so hard to get it to this point," Khloe continued.
“My body, my image and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice. It’s not for anyone to decide or judge what is acceptable or not anymore.”
Of course, as many pointed out, the pic was snapped by Khloe’s grandmother, not some overzealous paparazzi.
And she could’ve transformed her humiliation into empowerment by taking pride in her appearance and encouraging others to do the same.
But at the end of the day, this is Khloe’s decision to make — and it seems that she intends to keep fighting against the current on this one.