Beyoncé, the Grammy-winning superstar has sparked intense online debate after British TV personality Piers Morgan accused her of “cultural appropriation” for channeling Marilyn Monroe in her latest campaign with Levi’s.
The backlash began on August 6, when Morgan shared a photo from the ad campaign on X (formerly Twitter), showing Beyoncé styled in platinum blonde curls, bold red lipstick, and Monroe-esque winged eyeliner—a look fans immediately recognized as classic 1950s Hollywood glam.
“Very disappointed to see Beyoncé culturally appropriate Marilyn Monroe in her new Levi’s ad,”
Morgan wrote in the now-viral post.
Within hours, Morgan’s tweet had racked up more than 650,000 views and sparked a flood of responses from Beyoncé’s fiercely loyal fanbase and others on social media who weren’t having it.
Among the most-liked rebuttals:
- “Marilyn Monroe is not a culture.”
- “This is clearly homage, not appropriation.”
- “You just love to tear down successful Black women.”
One user put it bluntly: “White celebrities dress up like Black icons all the time and it’s called ‘tribute.’ But Beyoncé does this and it’s a problem?”
Legendary singer Dionne Warwick also joined the conversation—and didn’t mince words. “Getting involved in women’s business again, I see,” she tweeted, referencing Morgan’s history of publicly criticizing female stars.
Fans immediately rallied behind the 84-year-old icon, praising her for the clapback and calling it a “mic drop moment.”
After facing major backlash, Morgan responded the next day, insisting the tweet was intended as satire.
“I would say I can’t believe anyone took my obvious Beyoncé joke post seriously, but I forgot the woke brigade have zero sense of humor,” he wrote, also addressing Warwick directly: “Oh not you too, Dionne… it was a JOKE!”
However, many weren’t buying it—calling out what they see as a pattern of making controversial statements and claiming they were “just jokes” when called out.
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly also weighed in, but her comments took a more personal turn. In a series of posts, she called Beyoncé “artificial” and suggested that her fame and success are manufactured.
“Quite clearly there is nothing natural about Beyoncé,”
Kelly wrote.
“Everything – from her image to her fame to her success… screams artificial, fake, enhanced, trying too hard.”
Critics were quick to point out the contrast between Kelly’s defense of actress Sydney Sweeney—whose recent American Eagle campaign drew its own criticism—and her attack on Beyoncé, calling it another example of a racial double standard in media coverage.
The controversy has reignited conversations around who gets to draw inspiration from whom in pop culture. Many noted that Monroe’s look isn’t tied to a specific culture—it’s a widely emulated pop icon aesthetic.
“Artistic homage isn’t the same thing as appropriation,” one user explained. “Beyoncé’s clearly paying tribute to an era, not stealing culture.”
Others pointed out the irony that Beyoncé is being criticized for dressing like Monroe—while Sweeney’s ad, which included phrases like “great genes” alongside imagery some felt leaned into eugenics-era ideals, was largely defended by the same voices attacking Beyoncé.
As of now, neither Beyoncé nor Levi’s has responded to the controversy—something that doesn’t come as a surprise. The superstar is known for letting her work speak louder than any comment section.
