Reality star Kim Kardashian has been accused of being insensitive for having a ‘normal’ 40th birthday celebration on a tropical island during the coronavirus pandemic.
She shared a new, nearly seven-minute-long vlog of her extravagant getaway to the private island of Tetiaroa on her Instagram account on Thursday. One of the videos of the celebration was a hologram of Kim’s late father who was gifted by husband Kanye West. In the footage’s most emotional scene, Kim together with sisters Khloe, Kourtney and momager Kris, settled in to receive Kanye’s surprise gift.
The family watched as the hologram appeared of Robert Kardashian Sr., telling Kim that the was ‘very proud’ of her. Following that, a teary Kim talked to Kanye on the phone, telling him ‘seriously, thank you’ for the gift.
The elder Kardashian’s son, Rob Jr was not present. Robert Kardashian Sr. died in 2003 following a battle with cancer. In the video, Kim was spotted wearing a lime green string bikini, with a caption ‘Pool Day’.
More footage showed friends and family including younger brother Rob swimming in a luxurious pool. Kim and Kendall Jenner then hit the open seas for a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience swimming with whales. The KUWTK star captured footage of splashing humpbacks in the distance as their boat approached. Rob, 33, was also glimpsed as he joined his siblings for the adventure.
In the vlog there were images of Kanye’s Sunday Service where his church choir serenaded Kim with a rendition of Happy Birthday. The birthday girl came under fire on social media for travelling to a private island despite the coronavirus pandemic for a lavish birthday celebration with loved ones. She still posted throwbacks from the holiday which comprised of 30 guests flying to a private resort in French Polynesia on October 20 in a charter Boeing 777, as reported by Page Six.
Kim and her guests stayed for five days at the Brando Resort near Tahiti where rooms can cost up to USD20,000 per night on the private island previously owned by the late Marlon Brando. At first Kim shared photos of her surprise trip on Instagram and Twitter and she instantly received backlash.
Meme creators went to work, posting movie stills from sinister or comical island locations, or clueless displays of extreme wealth, to accompany her initial tweet: ‘After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time.’
Some netizens were unhappy that Kim and her guests travelled as COVID-19 cases soared in the US and they did not wear a mask while socialising. Netizens also questioned the display of wealth as many people have lost their jobs and had to make do with less due to the economic devastation brought on by the pandemic and government inaction.