Shocking photos of some of the biggest female celebrities went viral last Tuesday, when Italian artist and activist Alexsandro Palombo edited and disfigured eight female stars to make them look like battered and abused women.
The disturbing pictures include headshots of 'beaten' famous personalities with the label "Life can be a fairytale, if you break the silence." and a hashtag #stopviolenceagainstwomen. According to the artist responsible for the edited shots, these photos are part of his campaign called 'No Woman is Immune from Domestic Violence' project, and its goal is to help abused women speak up and break the silence around domestic violence.
Palombo explains, "Domestic violence is a social cancer that knows no boundaries nor social status, it can affect anyone, whether you're an ordinary person or a celebrity. To defeat him you need to use the antidote of culture by educating and raising awareness on Respect and Equality. Each of us has do their part to help increase awareness and to change things by any means."
While many found the message of the pictures purposeful, the artist has earned a number of critics for his bold campaign, including two of the female celebrities he had included in his photos. TMZ reports on Tuesday evening that reality stars Kim Kardashian and her sister Kendall Jenner are currently contacting Palombo after the artist took and altered their photos without their consent. Apparently, the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashian' sisters support the cause but they also value their right to choose to be involved in such project.
In an interview with ABC, domestic violence researcher Professor Kerry Carrington said that the use of the photos without the knowledge and permission of the female celebrities weaken Palombo's supposedly powerful message. She adds that though there's a good motivation behind the pictures, it is still unethical to use these women without their consent.
