Kai Cenat Faces Social Media Backlash For Collaborating With Target Despite Cutback On DEI Initiatives

BY Cole Blake 3.0K Views
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Feb 14, 2025; Oakland, California, USA; Kai Cenat before the celebrity game ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Oakland Arena. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Many shoppers have been boycotting Target in response to the company's decision to cutback it's DEI programs.

Kai Cenat is facing backlash on social media for teaming up with Target for the release of a new personal care brand, TONE, in the department store chain. In celebration of the move, the live streamer and the AMP collective hosted a “sleepover” inside a Target location over the weekend.

As clips of the group racing around the store circulated online, fans complained about the stream. "Target trying so hard to get black people back in stores without hardcore apologizing. They let Kai and AMP have a sleepover in the store. Idc how many influencers they pay, still not shopping there," one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another hopped in the comments section of a post from The Neighborhood Talk to add: "The moment y’all realize these rich celebrities don’t care about poor and working-class folks, the less triggered you’ll be. As long as they stay at the top, what happens to the bottom don’t concern them."

As for TONE, Cenat explained his inspiration for the brand in a press release for Target. "We really saw a gap in the shelves for a new brand to break through — and for a brand that is fresh and represents who we and our community are. Products that don't just look good but actually work and smell great," he said. The line features a total of 16 products, including deodorant, body wash, and more.

Target Boycott

Kai Cenat isn't the first celebrity to face backlash for shopping at Target. Earlier this year, Cardi B came under fire for posting a picture of herself with her family at the store.

Beyonce's mother, Tina Knowles, even used her platform to condemn people shopping at Target in a post on social media back in January. “So y’all bowed down and kissed the ring, huh? Crossing you off my list! No more Target!” she wrote at the time.

About The Author
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.

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